Home

Arancini with seitan ragù

26/11/2023

Arancini are a Sicilian specialty, and we can prepare them in a vegetarian version using seitan as the main ingredient for the ragù. Here’s the recipe for Arancini with seitan ragù:

Ingredients

For the rice dough:

  • 300 g of risotto rice (Arborio, Carnaroli, or Vialone Nano)
  • 1 liter of vegetable broth
  • 1 sachet of saffron
  • 50 g of butter
  • 50 g of grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 eggs

For the seitan ragù:

  • 200 g of seitan
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 small carrot, chopped
  • 1 stalk of celery, chopped
  • 400 g of tomato purée
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • A pinch of sugar
  • Aromatic herbs (basil, oregano)

For breading and frying:

  • Flour as needed
  • Breadcrumbs as needed
  • 2 eggs
  • Frying oil

Preparation

Rice:

  1. Prepare a saffron risotto: cook the rice in the vegetable broth until it is al dente, adding the saffron dissolved in a bit of the hot broth.
  2. Once the rice is ready, turn off the heat and add the butter and Parmesan. Let it cool and then incorporate the beaten eggs to better bind the mixture.

Seitan ragù:

  1. Finely chop the onion, carrot, and celery and sauté everything in a pan with extra virgin olive oil.
  2. Add the chopped or minced seitan and let it cook for a few minutes, stirring well.
  3. Pour the tomato purée, add salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar, and the aromatic herbs.
  4. Let it simmer until you get a thick ragù. Adjust the seasoning with salt and spices if necessary.

Assembly:

  1. Take a portion of the rice and flatten it on your hand.
  2. Place a tablespoon of seitan ragù in the center and close with more rice, forming a ball or cone (depending on the Sicilian tradition you want to follow).
  3. Dip the arancini first in flour, then in the beaten egg, and finally in breadcrumbs.

Cooking:

  1. Heat a generous amount of oil in a pot and fry the arancini until golden brown.
  2. Drain them on paper towels to remove excess oil.

Serve the arancini hot to best enjoy their oozy filling.

Curiosity

The word “arancini” means “little oranges,” a reference to their shape and golden color after frying. They originate from Sicily and there’s a tradition of preparing them on December 13th for the feast of Santa Lucia to ward off the threat of famine.

Enjoy your meal and have a good time cooking!