Cool all components completely
Warm rice sticks to the hands and moist ragù breaks through the shell. Both spread flat and make it really cold.
Italian Recipe
Arancini al Ragù
Rice and meat filling must be completely cooled before solid rice balls are formed. A water-based pastella keeps the panade without a thick layer of eggs.
Total time
4 hr
Calories
710 kcal
Servings
6 servings
Difficulty
Advanced
Why this recipe works
Sicilian rice balls with ragù and cheese kernels
Arancini only succeeds with well-prepared components. The rice is cooked in a precisely sized broth so that it binds but does not remain wet. The ragù must be so reduced that no sauce runs out of the middle. Only completely chilled masses can be tightly closed around meat, peas and cheese.
Mediterranean Cuisine
Lunch
Dinner
Meat
Recipe
Arancini al Ragù
Sicilian Arancini wrap a dry ragù of minced meat and peas with saffron rice, cheese, thin flour cover and crispy breadcrumbs.
Ingredients
6 servings
Method
-
1
Cook rice in broth
Boil rice with 1.1 litres of broth, saffron and a teaspoon of salt. Cook for 16 to 18 minutes in a small heat without draining until the liquid is absorbed.
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2
Cool rice flat
Stir butter and Parmigiano under the hot rice. Spread thinly on two plates and let cool completely for at least 60 minutes.
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3
Soffritto and roast meat
Heat olive oil. Fry onion, carrot and celery for 8 minutes. Add minced meat and fry crumbly brown in a strong heat.
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4
Reduce Ragù dry
Deglaze with wine and cook almost completely. Tomato paste for 1 minute, add passata and simmer open for 30 minutes until the ragù is very thick.
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5
Add peas and seasoning
Cook peas for 5 minutes in a ragù. Season with the rest of the salt, spread on a plate and let cool completely.
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6
Arancini solid forms
Moisten hands. Press about 100 g of rice flat in one hand, place a spoon of ragù and a cheese cube in the middle and close with rice completely.
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7
Apply pastella and panade
Stir flour and cold water smoothly. Pull each arancino thinly through the pastella, drain and turn completely into breadcrumbs.
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8
Fry portions
Heat oil to 170 to 175 °C. Fry Arancini in small portions for 5 to 6 minutes round golden brown and drain on a grid.
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9
Let it rest for a while
Leave to stand for 8 to 10 minutes before eating. The cheese core remains hot; lukewarm the arancini can be cut cleanly.
Kitchen know-how
Tips for Arancini al Ragù
Ragù cook very dry
The filling should stand on the spoon. Free tomato sauce dissolves the rice and can come out while frying.
Variations
How to adapt this recipe
Replace Ragù with a filling of béchamel, ham, peas and cheese. Put the cream very cold before forming.
For a buffet form 24 half as large balls and shorten the frying time to about 4 minutes.
Nutrition per serving
710kcal
83.0 gCarbohydrates
27.0 gProtein
30.0 gFat
Values are estimates per serving and may vary depending on the ingredients, brands, portion size and preparation method used.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Arancini al Ragù
In East Sicily, Arancini is common, in the West, more common Arancine. The shape also differs regionally between cone and sphere.
Rice or ragù were too wet, the ball had cracks or the panade was patchy. Close tightly with cold, dry components.
Starch-rich round grains such as Roma, Originario or risotto rice bind well. Long grain rice holds the shaped shell together less reliably.
Formed and panned arancini can be cooled for several hours. Fritted specimens lose part of their crunchiness during storage.
170 to 175 °C brown the panade while the core becomes completely hot. Too cold oil makes the shell greasy, too hot makes it burst.
Keep cooking