Miniatures Rice Balls Appetizer

(“Arancine Mignon”)

Arancine is derived from the Italian language for orange, or arancia.  This recipe is simplified, easy to prepare and will make approximately 20 to 25 visually and gastronomically appealing miniature rice ball.

 

PART ONE - The Stuffing

Ingredients:

• ½ lb. ricotta
• ½ lb. shredded mozzarella
• ½ cup grated cheese
• ½ lb. diced mortadella or ham

 

This stuffing is made using available products in your pantry or refrigerator, using your imagination and ingenuity.
Following up some suggestions:

In a small bowl mix: ½ lb. ricotta, ½ lb. shredded mozzarella, ½ cup grated cheese.
Combine ½ lb. diced mortadella or ham, ½ lb. shredded mozzarella, ¼ lb. butter at room temperature, 3 tablespoon grated cheese, ground black pepper to taste.
Mix 1 lb. salted butter, at room temperature, with your preferred herbs and spices.
Sauté with onions 1½ lb. chopped meat (or leftover steaks, sausages, meat balls, chopped) add some tomato sauce and you have a delicious stuffing.
Any leftover vegetable sautéed with onions or garlic, herbs and spices can produce Rice Balls Primavera.

 

PART TWO - Rice Preparation

• Ingredients:
• 1 lb. Arborio rice, rinsed
• ¼ cup of olive oil
• ½ medium onion finely chopped
• 2 quarts of water
• 1 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon of salt (½ oz.)
• Pepper to taste
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• 2 eggs

 

 

Preparation
In a 6 quart sauce pot combine the olive oil with the onion and sauté for about 7 minutes, until lightly golden. 
Add tomato paste, and as it fries, slowly add a quart of water.
After a few minutes, add the remaining water, salt, pepper and parsley.  Let it boil for about ½ hour. 
Remove 2 cups of liquid, set aside and stir the rice into the remaining boiling liquid, cook at a medium heat.   
Beat the eggs, add 1 cup of the reserved liquid.  This prevents the eggs from cooking too quickly when you add them to the boiling rice.

Mix the egg mixture into the rice and continue stirring, simmering it for about 15 minutes or until al dente; check the salt to your taste.
If necessary add some of the reserved liquid. Rice should have the consistency of a risotto, and if the reserved liquid is not enough, add some hot water. Place cooked rice in a large and wide pan to cool, turning it occasionally.

 

PART THREE - Making the Rice Balls

Work and compact cooled rice with your hands into a mass, if it is too dry add either the reserved water or plain water until it is smooth and moist, but not too watery.

Wet hands with oil and shape some rice into a ball, the size of a small orange (hence the name arancine).
Make a hole with your finger and fill it with a half of a teaspoon of the stuffing.
Add a small amount of rice to cover the hole and smooth the rice ball until round. If it is too small, add some rice.  If it is too large, remove a pinch of rice and reshape.  Repeat until it is a smooth sphere of the desired size.

Place the rice balls in an oiled pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours.

To make the miniature rice balls uniform in size, you can use a 3 ounce ice cream scoop, and make the rice balls as per above instructions.

 

PART FOUR - Frying the Rice Balls

You will need:

• A wide container with 3-4 lb. of sifted fine Italian breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs
• 4 tablespoons of milk
• Deep fryer @ 375 degrees (preferably Peanut Oil)

 

Preparation
Place milk and eggs in a wide bowl and beat until smooth.
Lower the rice balls into the egg mixture, a few at a time. When you remove them from the egg mixture, reshape if necessary.  Then roll them in the container with the breadcrumbs.  
Press the breadcrumbs into the rice ball and continue rolling it in your hands, shaping into a ball.
Set the breaded rice ball into a pan or dish. Deep-fry until golden, let rest on paper towels.
It is advisable to warm the rice balls in a 325 degrees oven for a few minutes before serving, to allow the stuffing to get warm.