Messinese rice Sfinci

Messinese rice Sfinci are a traditional dish of Sicilian cuisine, typical of the Carnival period. They are sweet fritters made with rice and often flavored with ingredients such as lemon or orange zest. Here is the recipe to prepare them.

Ingredients

• 250 g of rice
• 500 ml of milk
• 1 pinch of salt
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 3 eggs
• 50 g of sugar
• 1 sachet of baking powder for sweets
• Oil for frying
• Powdered sugar for garnishing

Preparation

1. Start by boiling the rice with the milk and a pinch of salt, add the grated lemon zest. When the rice has absorbed all the milk and is well cooked, you must let it cool.
2. Once the rice has cooled, add the eggs, sugar, and yeast. Mix well until you get a homogeneous mixture.
3. Heat plenty of oil in a frying pan and, when it has reached the temperature, take spoonfuls of the mixture and fry them in the oil until they become golden and puffy.
4. Drain the sfinci on paper towels to remove excess oil.
5. Serve them hot, sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Curiosity

The rice Sfinci are a variant of the more famous Sicilian Sfinci that are prepared with flour and ricotta. The rice version is less common but equally appreciated and is characterized by a particularly soft texture and a delicate flavor given by the rice enriched with lemon zest.