Arancino
Arancini (plural of arancino ; Italian for "small oranges", Sicilian arancinu , or arancina ) are fried and filled rice balls. They are part of traditional Sicilian cuisine and, depending on the province, are also prepared in a conical shape.
preparation
To prepare it, peeled short-grain rice is first cooked firm to the bite in broth like risotto and mixed with soaked saffron threads , a little butter, parmesan or pecorino cheese and egg.
For the filling, coarsely or finely chopped meat, pancetta , peas, tomatoes and onions are braised until the mixture has thickened. Other ingredients such as B. spicy cheese, mushrooms or poultry liver can be used.
When the rice mixture has cooled, it is formed into tangerine to peach-sized balls in portions with a little filling. The balls are breaded , fried in vegetable oil and preferably eaten hot. One possible variation is to use clarified butter instead of vegetable oil.
A similar dish are the supplì known in the central Italian region of Lazio .
Trivia
The fictional character Commissario Montalbano , hero of a crime series by Andrea Camilleri set in Sicily , is an avowed lover of this dish.
