You crack a gold, heavy ball the size of a fist — crumbs giving onto saffron rice, then a molten centre of ragù or cheese. Named for little oranges, which they resemble if you squint and the oil has done its work. You eat them standing, burning your tongue, and that is half the pleasure.
This is Sicily's street food, sold from windows in Palermo — round, arancine — and from carts in Catania, where they are often conical. The rice was once leftover risotto; now you cook it for the purpose, stained with saffron, bound with Parmesan.
Fry until the coat is deep and even. Work the filling in firmly or it will leak. They do not wait.
Method
- 01
Sweat the onion until it is soft and pale, then stir in the rice and a pinch of saffron until every grain is stained gold. Add the stock a ladle at a time, stirring, until you have a tight risotto — stiffer than you'd serve in a bowl, because it has to hold a shape later. Beat in the Parmesan, taste for salt, and spread the lot on a tray to cool completely. Warm rice will not form a ball.
- 02
Wet your hands so the rice doesn't stick, then take a handful and flatten it in your palm. Nestle a cube of cheese and a spoonful of ragù in the middle, then close the rice around it, rolling until you have a snug ball about the size of an orange. Work quickly and firmly — gaps will leak in the fryer. Set them on a tray as you go.
- 03
Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl and put the breadcrumbs in another. Roll each ball first in egg — let the excess drip off — then in crumbs, pressing gently so the coat sticks all over. A thin, even jacket is what you want; bald spots will burst in the oil. If a ball looks shaggy, roll it once more in crumbs and you'll be fine.
- 04
Heat the oil to 340°F — a cube of bread should sizzle and brown in about a minute. Lower the arancini in a few at a time so the temperature doesn't collapse, and fry until they are deep gold all over, four to five minutes. Lift them out onto paper, salt them while they still shine, and try not to burn your tongue on the molten cheese. They do not wait.
