INGREDIENTS
- FOR THE SAUCE
120 grams of ground beef
120 grams of minced veal
120 grams of minced pork
half carrot
half an onion
a stalk of celery
two tablespoons of tomato paste
350 ml of tomato puree
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
a clove
a bay leaf
salt and pepper
200 ml of red wine
- FOR THE FILLING
100 grams peas already boiled in salted water
150 grams of soft diced cheese
250 grams of béchamel
- FOR THE RICE
extra virgin olive oil as required
Middle spring onion or a small shallot
two packets of Saffron
80 grams of grated parmigiano reggiano PDO
60 grams of butter
salt to taste
- FOR THE OUTSIDE:
breadcrumbs
2 egg whites and 1 whole egg
salt to taste
peanut oil for frying, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS:
Prepare the sauce the day before: the sauce should be very restricted. Finely chop carrot, onion and celery and let them wither in a pan with extra virgin olive oil for about 10 minutes. Combine in small doses the minced meat, browning it well before adding more. When all the meat is in the Pan, Add the tomato paste and wine and let evaporate the alcohol part over high heat. Finally, combine the tomato puree, The cloves, laurel; Add salt and cook over a low heat and covered for at least two hours. From time to time taste to see if you need to fix some more salt.
For the risotto proceed as for a normal risotto but keeping it very al dente: chop the onion and let it wither in a saucepan with the oil, then add the rice and toast it and slowly join the already hot water (in this case we do not use the broth to prevent the flavor of the risotto from imbalance that of the arancino as a whole). The risotto should be al dente and you have to cook it at least 5 minutes less than normal, by adding at the end the Saffron dissolved in a little hot water. Stir vigorously with butter and Parmesan. Spread the rice on a platter or a tray in a thin layer and let it cool down for at least 3 hours, but also all night keeping it in the refrigerator.
To compose the arancini take a handful of rice and, holding it in the Palm of your hand, obtain a flat 'conca' about 1cm thick. Put a tablespoon of sauce, a little bechamel, some peas and some small chunks of cheese. Then take another portion of rice and place it on top of the filling, going to crush the arancino with your hands until you form a ball the size of a tennis ball, adding a little risotto if necessary so you don't let the filling out. It seems hard but it isn't, because your ingredients are cold and therefore 'tied'.
Prepare three dishes: one with flour, one with the two egg whites and the whole egg well beaten and slightly salty and one with the bread grated. Carefully navigate your arancini (well and without leaving 'holes') first in flour, then in the beaten egg and finally in the grated bread. Place them on a cutting board sprinkled with breadcrumbs and let rest in refrigerator or fry them immediately. If you leave them in the refrigerator, pass them again in bread crumbs before frying.
Finally, fry the Sicilian arancini with ragout in peanut seed oil: frying must be done with care to fire not too high, because even though it's already all 'cooked', the heat must be able to melt the cheese inside but not strong enough to darken the outer crust too much. 6-8 minutes for every arancina.
(Recipe by Ada Parisi)