Yellow Rice Croquettes with Stracchino

Yellow rice croquettes with stracchino are a delicious snack that can be served as an appetizer or as finger food during a party. Here’s how to prepare them.

Ingredients

• 200 g of Arborio or Carnaroli rice
• 500 ml of vegetable or chicken broth
• Saffron, a few stigmas or a sachet of powder
• 100 g of stracchino cheese
• 2 eggs
• Bread crumbs as needed
• Flour as needed
• Oil for frying
• Salt as needed

Preparation

1. First, cook the rice: In a large pot, bring the broth to a boil and cook the rice al dente. When the rice is almost ready, add the saffron to color everything a nice intense yellow.

2. Once cooked, turn off the heat and let the rice cool completely. This step is important to ensure that the rice is compact enough to form into croquettes.

3. After the rice has cooled, take a small amount and slightly flatten it in the palm of your hand, then place a piece of stracchino in the center.

4. Close the rice around the stracchino forming a ball or a small croquette, making sure that the cheese is completely enclosed by the rice.

5. Coat each croquette first in flour, then in beaten egg, and finally in bread crumbs. Make sure they are well coated to prevent the stracchino from leaking out during cooking.

6. Heat a generous amount of oil in a pan and when it has reached the ideal temperature (you can test it with a piece of bread crumbs; if it sizzles immediately, it is ready), fry the croquettes until they are golden and crispy.

7. Drain them on paper towels to remove excess oil.

8. Serve hot, preferably accompanied by a tomato sauce or a green sauce.

Curiosity

Rice croquettes, also known as arancini in Sicily or supplì in Rome, have ancient origins and have been adopted and modified in various Italian regions. They typically contain rice, ragù, and peas, but the version I described to you is a simpler variant focused on the unique flavor of stracchino. In some places, you will find these croquettes baked, for a lighter version.