Arancini di Riso

Ingredients

• 500g Carnaroli or other risotto rice
• 1.1 litres light chicken or vegetable stock
• 0.25g saffron threads
• 50g unsalted butter
• 80g grated pecorino or Parmigiano
• 300g mixed minced beef and pork
• 1 small onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery stick
• 100ml dry red wine
• 250g tomato passata
• 150g frozen peas
• 150g caciocavallo or provola cheese
• 150g plain flour, for the batter
• 250ml water, for the batter
• 350g fine dry breadcrumbs
• 2 litres sunflower oil, for frying
• Extra virgin olive oil, salt and black pepper

Before you cook

• Chop the onion, carrot and celery as finely as you can.
• Cut the caciocavallo into 1cm cubes.
• Crumble the saffron into a small cup and cover it with two tablespoons of the stock.
• Line a large tray with baking paper.

Steps

1. Warm two tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and cook the chopped onion, carrot and celery over a low heat for ten minutes, until soft.
2. Turn the heat up, add the minced meat, and brown it hard for five minutes, breaking up the lumps.
3. Pour in the red wine and let it evaporate for three minutes.
4. Add the passata, season with salt and pepper, and simmer very gently for 45 minutes, until dark and thick.
5. Stir the peas into the ragu and cook for a final five minutes.
6. Spread the ragu on a plate and leave it to cool completely.
7. Bring the remaining stock to the boil in a wide pan and season it well with salt.
8. Add the rice and the saffron liquid, then cook at a steady simmer for 16 to 18 minutes, stirring often, until the rice has absorbed all the liquid.
9. Beat the butter and the grated cheese into the hot rice until it is glossy and sticky.
10. Spread the rice out on a tray in a layer no more than 2cm deep and leave it to cool to room temperature, which takes about an hour.
11. Whisk the flour and water together with a pinch of salt to a smooth batter about the thickness of double cream.
12. Wet your hands and take about 100g of the cold rice into your cupped palm.
13. Press a hollow into the middle and fill it with a heaped teaspoon of ragu and two cubes of cheese.
14. Draw the rice up and over the filling and roll it into a smooth ball, or press it into a cone for the Catanese shape.
15. Shape the rest of the arancini the same way and set them on the lined tray.
16. Roll each arancino in the batter until fully coated, letting the excess drip off.
17. Roll it in the breadcrumbs, pressing gently, then set it back on the tray.
18. Chill the coated arancini for 30 minutes.
19. Heat the frying oil in a deep pan to 175 degrees Celsius.
20. Fry three or four arancini at a time for four to five minutes, turning them, until deep golden all over.
21. Drain them on a rack rather than on paper, so the crust stays crisp.
22. Rest the arancini for five minutes before eating.