Arancini!

I realize that I mentioned an arancini recipe on New Year’s Eve and have yet to post it so here it is. First off arancini means “little oranges” in Italian and judging by their appearance this is a fitting name. They are common in grocery stores and Italian delis’s and are essentially fried balls of rice filled with bacon or ham, peas, and cheese. The ones I made were a little bland, so I suggest frying up some shallots to mix in the rice and adding a good amount of pepper to mix in as well.

Ingredients: White rice, Shallots, Olive oil, Salt, Pepper, Eggs, Cooked Bacon, Cooked Peas, Cubes of Fresh Mozzarella, and Bread Crumbs mixed with Paprika.

They are very simple to make, all you do is cook some white rice (as much as you want) in boiling water. Once the rice is cooked put it into a bowl to let cool for a little. After that add an egg to the mixture and mix thoroughly. Then add the shallots, pepper, and salt. Once you have that all mixed up take a small handful and add some peas, bacon, and mozzarella cheese. Take another small handful and form the rice into a ball with the filling safely on the inside. Keep doing this until all the rice is used up. Then when you are ready to cook them, take a rice ball and dip it into a bowl of beaten eggs. Then add it to a bowl of breadcrumbs and coat. Dot this until all the balls are covered. To cook heat a pan of olive oil (high enough to cover the arancini, or at least ½ the way up). Fry the arancini until golden brown (make sure they are nice and brown so that they are crispy). Set them aside on a paper towel to drain and either eat right away or bake in an oven to heat up. Buon Appetito