Arancini with mozzarella
Automatically translated from Romanian. See the Romanian original
Italian rice balls (arancini di riso) with a mozzarella core, triple-coated in egg and breadcrumbs, and fried until golden and crispy.
Ingredients
Method
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Sauté the finely chopped onion, add the peas with 1/2 a glass of water, and let them cook briefly. Season with salt and pepper, then add the rice and 1 glass of water. Cover and let it cook until all the water is absorbed.
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Set aside to cool.
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Moisten your hands, take a portion of rice, insert a mozzarella cube, and squeeze it in your palm so it holds together well. Coat in egg and breadcrumbs 3 times; this is essential to ensure they don't open up and to achieve a crispy crust.
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Heat palm oil in a heavy pot. Add the rice balls one by one and fry them until they turn a beautiful dark golden brown.
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Serve with a yogurt cream with mint, oregano, and salt.
The story behind this recipe
You could say this is a Romanian pilaf, reinvented by the Italians. The recipe is good; I’m not typically a fan of fried foods, but it works every now and then, especially if fried correctly. I ended up with 5 balls, which was more than enough for 2 people. Sauté the finely chopped onion, add the peas with 1/2 a glass of water, and let them cook briefly. Season with salt and pepper, then add the rice and 1 glass of water. Cover and let it cook until all the water is absorbed. Set aside to cool. Moisten your hands, take a portion of rice, insert a mozzarella cube, and squeeze it in your palm so it holds together well. Coat in egg and breadcrumbs 3 times! It is very important to bread them 3 times so they don't risk opening up and to get a crispy crust. Heat palm oil in a heavy pot. Add the rice balls one by one and let them cook until they turn a beautiful dark golden brown. They are delicious, a bit meticulous to make, but well worth the effort! I served them with a yogurt cream with mint, oregano, and salt. Enjoy!
