Completely cool all components
Warm rice sticks to your hands and moist ragù breaks through the shell. Spread both out flat and let it get really cold.
Italian Recipe
Arancini al Ragù
Rice and meat filling must cool completely before forming solid rice balls. A water-based pastel keeps the breading without a thick egg layer.
Total time
4 hr
Calories
710 kcal
Servings
6 servings
Difficulty
Advanced
Why this recipe works
Sicilian rice balls with ragù and cheese core
Arancini can only be made with well-prepared ingredients: the rice is cooked in a carefully measured broth so that it binds but does not remain wet; the ragù must be reduced so that no sauce runs out of the middle; only fully cooled masses can be tightly sealed 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 and crispy breadcrumbs.
Ingredients
6 servings
Method
-
1
Cook rice in broth
Bring rice to the boil with 1.1 litres of stock, saffron and a teaspoon of salt. Cook over low heat without draining for 16 to 18 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.
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2
Cool the rice flat
Stir the butter and Parmigiano cheese into the hot rice. Spread thinly on two baking trays and let cool completely for at least 60 minutes.
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3
Soffritto and roast meat
Heat olive oil. Sauté onion, carrot and celery for 8 minutes until soft. Add minced meat and fry over high heat until crumbly brown.
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4
Reduce ragù dry
Deglaze with wine and boil down almost completely. Roast 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 the peas in the ragù for 5 minutes. Season with the remaining salt, spread on a plate and let cool completely.
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6
Shape the arancini firmly
Press about 100 g of rice flat in one hand, put a spoonful of ragù and a cheese cube in the middle and seal with rice completely.
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7
Apply pastels and breading
Whisk the flour and cold water until smooth. Thinly pull each Arancino through the pastels, drain and completely turn into breadcrumbs.
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8
Portions of deep-frying
Heat oil to 170 to 175 ° C. Fry the arancini in small portions for 5 to 6 minutes until golden brown all over and drain on a rack.
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9
Rest for a moment
Leave to stand for 8 to 10 minutes before eating. Keep the cheese core hot; cut the arancini clean and lukewarm.
Kitchen know-how
Tips for Arancini al Ragù
Cook ragù very dry
The filling should be placed on the spoon. Free tomato sauce softens the rice and can leak out when deep-frying.
Variations
How to adapt this recipe
Replace the ragù with a béchamel, ham, peas and cheese filling and refrigerate the cream very cold before forming.
For a buffet, form 24 balls half the size and reduce the frying time to about 4 minutes. Continue to control the temperature.
Nutrition per serving
710kcal
83.0 gCarbohydrates
27.0 gProtein
30.0 gFat
Values are estimates and may vary depending on the ingredients, brands, portion size and preparation method used.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Arancini al Ragù
Arancini is widespread in eastern Sicily, more common in the west. The shape also differs regionally between cone and sphere.
Rice or ragù were too moist, the ball had cracks or the breading was patchy. Tightly seal with cold, dry components.
Starchy round grains such as Roma, Originario or risotto rice bind well. Long grain rice holds the shaped shell together less reliably.
Shaped and breaded arancini can be chilled for a few hours. Deep-fried specimens lose some of their crunchiness when stored.
170 to 175 ° C, while the core becomes completely hot. Too cold oil makes the casing greasy, too hot makes it burst.
Keep cooking