Arancini al Ragù
Sicily's fried rice balls: saffron rice packed around a ragù and pea filling, coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried until the shell shatters.
- prep
- 1 h 30 min
- cook
- 30 min
- total
- 2 h
- serves
- 6
- level
- hard
Arancini, meaning little oranges for their shape and color, are Sicilian street food built from leftover-style risotto rice, cooled firm, packed around a spoonful of meat ragù and peas, rolled in breadcrumbs and deep-fried until the outside shatters and the inside stays soft.
The rice needs to be properly cold and firm before shaping, and most home cooks find working with slightly wet hands keeps the rice from sticking everywhere while you form the balls.
Arancini al Ragù is one of the twenty most famous Italian foods.
method
Cook the rice like a risotto in the stock with the saffron, adding liquid gradually until tender but not creamy-wet. Stir in the butter and Parmigiano, then spread on a tray to cool completely, ideally overnight.
For the ragù, brown the meat with the diced vegetables, add the passata and simmer 30 minutes. Fold in the peas at the end. Cool.
With wet hands, take a handful of cold rice, flatten it in your palm, add a spoonful of ragù, and close the rice around it into a ball, packing it firm.
Roll each ball in flour, then beaten egg, then breadcrumbs, pressing gently to coat evenly.
Heat the oil to 175°C (350°F) and fry the arancini in batches until deep golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
Rest for a couple of minutes before serving so the centers settle.
chef's tips
- Cold, firm rice is essential; warm or loose rice falls apart in the oil.
- Pack the rice tightly around the filling so no ragù leaks out during frying.
- They freeze well breaded but unfried; fry straight from frozen, a little longer.