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White Ragù Arancini

17/11/2023

Arancini, or arancine depending on the area of Sicily referred to, are stuffed, breaded, and fried rice spheres. Traditionally they contain a meat ragù, but in this case, we will prepare a version with white ragù, that is without tomato sauce. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

For the rice:

  • 500 g of risotto rice (such as Arborio or Carnaroli)
  • 1.2 liters of chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 sachets of saffron
  • 50 g of butter
  • 100 g of grated Parmesan cheese

For the white ragù:

  • 300 g of ground meat (mix of veal and pork)
  • 1 small carrot
  • 1 stalk of celery
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 100 ml of white wine
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper
  • A handful of peas (optional)

For breading and frying:

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

Preparation

  1. Start by cooking the rice: bring the broth to a boil and dissolve the saffron. Cook the rice in the saffron broth until it is al dente. Once cooked, remove from the heat, add the butter and grated Parmesan cheese, and mix well. Spread the rice out on a surface to cool it down faster.

  2. Prepare the white ragù: finely chop the carrot, onion, and celery, and sauté them in hot oil until golden. Add the ground meat, increase the heat, and brown well. Deglaze with white wine and let it evaporate. Add the bay leaf, salt, and pepper, and cook on low heat for about 30 minutes. If you like, you can also add peas.

  3. When both the rice and the ragù have cooled down, proceed to form the arancini. Take a portion of rice (about a handful), make a hollow in the center, and insert some of the ragù. Cover with more rice and shape the arancino into a round or slightly elongated form.

  4. Prepare plates with flour, beaten egg, and breadcrumbs. Coat each arancino first with flour, then with egg, and finally with breadcrumbs.

  5. Fry the arancini in hot oil until golden. Drain them on paper towels and serve hot.

Remember that arancini are a very versatile dish, so you can customize the filling to your taste or based on what you have available at home. For example, you could use diced cooked ham or pieces of mozzarella for a different touch.

White Ragù Arancini