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Arancini - rice balls with meat filling

Arancini — Rice Balls with Meat Filling

This is an Italian recipe for delicious rice balls with a meat filling. In Italian, "arancini" sounds a lot like the word for oranges — and these little rice balls with all sorts of fillings really do resemble the orange citrus fruit, though sometimes arancini are shaped into cones instead. Once formed, they're baked or fried, always with a coating of breadcrumbs. It's not hard to make, but it does take some effort — and it's so worth it!

Natusik

Recipe author

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Short-grain rice

300

Eggs

Butter

Hard cheese

100

Ground meat

300

Onion

Hard cheese

100

Sugar

Fresh herbs (parsley)

Salt

Ground black pepper

Tomato paste

Wheat flour

150

Eggs

Breadcrumbs

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 20 % 12 g

Fats 25 % 15 g

Carbohydrates 55 % 33 g

306 kcal

GI: 3 / 42 / 55

Cooking method

Step 1:

For the filling, dice the onion and fry it in oil for 5 minutes. Add the ground meat, pour in some water, and bring to a boil, breaking up the clumps of meat as you go. Season with salt and pepper, then add the sugar and tomato paste. Stir and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes. Stir the parsley into the meat and heat for one more minute. Then take it off the heat and mix in the grated cheese.
Step 2:

Cook the rice until done, then mix it with the butter and grated cheese. Add the beaten egg and stir well.
Step 3:

With wet hands, take a mound of rice and flatten it in your palm. Put a spoonful of the meat filling in the center of the disk and shape it into a ball. Repeat with all the rice and filling.
Step 4:

Beat the remaining eggs with a pinch of salt. Roll the arancini in flour, then in egg, then in breadcrumbs.
Step 5:

Fry them in hot oil for 5–7 minutes, turning, until golden. The oil should cover the arancini more than halfway.
Step 6:

The arancini are ready! Enjoy!

Important! For consistently delicious rice dishes, read the article on the fine points of choosing rice and the secrets of cooking it.
Every oil is good only up to a certain temperature — its smoke point — beyond which it starts to burn and form harmful compounds, including carcinogens. For how to gauge frying temperature and choose the best oil for the job (and which ones to avoid), read more here.
Important! The wrong pan can ruin even the best recipe. For all the details on choosing the perfect pan for different dishes, read here.