Yesterday , hot sandwiches were on tap for dinner, but they needed some kind of side. Not feeling salad right now. Raw veggies seemed blah and chips were so last week. What's a mom to do ? Feed em balls ! Arrancini to be exact . What is arrancini you might ask ? They are a Sicilian rice ball that is filled with cheese, peas or a savory meat filling and deep fried. They look like baby oranges when finished, hence the name Arrancini -little orange in Italian.
To make, you need the following ingredients:
4 cups cooked rice, 2 eggs, 1 lb grated cheese, 1/4 cup parsley and about a cup of your desired filling ( shredded mozerella in this case)
You will also need breadcrumbs and an egg wash to coat them in and some way to deep fry these ( dutch oven with oil for frying or a fryer)
Mix the cooked rice with the parsley, grated cheese and eggs. It should form a stiff, sticky mixture.( do not let the scary woman with no make up frighten you- she has had coffee , so she is safe to approach)
Using an ice cream scoop or spoon, grab an ice cream scoop size mound of the mixture
mush it into a small patty and add about a teaspoon of your chosen filling
then re-form the ball, adding extra mixture if nessisary to insure your filling is contained in the rice mixture
Roll into a ball and then roll the ball in an eggwash mixture followed by breadcrumbs. It is helpful to have a bowl of water nearby so you can wash your hands between balls or they will start to resemble a hand shaped arancini , and you don't want to mistakenly deep fry those. Let the finished balls sit for a few minutes while you heat your oil to 375. Meanwhile, bask in the knowledge that you really, really need to buy new jelly roll pans :
Once your oil is at temperature, fry the balls for 3-5 minute, until golden brown
Drain on paper towels and giggle at how your son calls these Matzo Balls, Rice a Roni and just plain yummy. They really are exactly that. I think these could make even a PB and J sandwich seem like a rather dressed up dinner !
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