ARANCINI BALLS / RYSBALLETJIES

ARANCINI (RICE BALLS) 

yield: 8 ARANCINI
prep time: 15 MIN
cook time: 5 MIN

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups cooked white rice, cooled (See Kelly's Notes)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
3 eggs
8 small cubes fresh mozzarella
1 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
Oil, for frying

DIRECTIONS:
Place a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and add enough vegetable oil to rise 4 inches in the pot.
Combine the rice, Parmesan and 1 egg in a medium bowl and use your hands to thoroughly combine the mixture.
Form each arancini by taking a small portion of the mixture, squeezing it firmly and stuffing one cube of mozzarella inside each ball. Repeat this process to form 8 arancini.
Whisk together the remaining 2 eggs. Dip each arancini in the eggs and then in the breadcrumbs, shaking off any excess.
Once the oil reaches 375ºF, add 2 or 3 of the breaded arancini to the pot and fry them until golden brown and cooked throughout.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the fried arancini from the pot and transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate. Immediately salt the arancini. Repeat the frying process with the remaining arancini.
Serve the arancini warm with a side of warm marinara sauce.
Kelly's Notes:
I've made arancini with many types of rice, but some varieties prove more successful than others. For example, regular old Uncle Ben's will only work if it's particularly sticky. The best rice for arancini is actually sushi rice (despite how unauthentically Italian that may be!) because it is much more glutinous so it's easy to work with.
Make sure you really squeeze the arancini together to make them as compact as possible. This will ensure the arancini hold their shape when frying.
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ARANCINI BALLS

40 – 45 balls

2 ¼ cups chicken stock

1 cup Arboria rice

1 tspn olive oil

20g butter

1 brown onion finely chopped

125g mozzarella cheese finely grated

½ cup parmesan cheese finely grated

METHOD

Place stock in pot and bring to the boil. Stir in rice and cover with lid.  Reduce heat, cook for 10mins, set aside and keep covered for 10 mins until liquid absorbed.

Fry onion and bacon in butter until onion soft and bacon crisp.  Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Shape into balls, little smaller than golf balls.  Roll in flour, dip in egg and roll in breadcrumbs.

Refrigerate for 3 hours.  Deep  fry in oil.

 Can be reheated in oven at 180* for 15mins.

Variation

¼ cup sesame seeds can be added to breadcrumbs

Small cube of cheese can be presses into centre of ball.

Mixed herbs can be added to breadcrumbs.
Geplaas deur: Albert Badenhorst

#rysballetjies

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