Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy 3-quart saucepan with tight-fitting lid for rice
• •Large skillet for ragù
• •Deep heavy pot or Dutch oven for frying (at least 6 quarts)
• •Deep-fry or instant-read thermometer
• •Spider or slotted spoon
• •Wire cooling rack set over baking sheet

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the saffron

   Warm one cup of the broth and crumble the saffron threads into it. Let it steep for at least 15 minutes. The broth should turn deep gold. Sicilian arancini get their characteristic color from saffron, not food coloring. Do not skip this.

2. 2

   Cook the rice

   In a heavy saucepan, bring the remaining three cups of broth plus the saffron-infused broth to a simmer. Add the rice and stir once. Cover tightly, reduce heat to very low, and cook for 18 minutes. Do not lift the lid. Do not stir. The rice should absorb all the liquid and be tender but not mushy.

   This is not risotto technique. You are not stirring constantly. You are cooking rice pilaf-style, which gives you grains that hold together when shaped but remain distinct.
3. 3

   Finish the rice

   Remove the rice from heat and immediately stir in the butter until melted. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and egg yolks, stirring vigorously. The residual heat will cook the yolks gently into a binding mixture. Season with salt. Spread the rice on a baking sheet in an even layer and refrigerate until completely cold, at least one hour. The rice must be cold or the arancini will fall apart when you form them.

4. 4

   Build the ragù

   While the rice cools, make the filling. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until soft and the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the ground beef and pork, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned and no pink remains, about 12 minutes.

5. 5

   Simmer the ragù

   Pour in the wine and let it bubble until evaporated completely. Add the tomato passata and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is very thick and concentrated, about 25 minutes. It should hold its shape on a spoon. Stir in the peas during the last 5 minutes. Spread on a plate and refrigerate until completely cold.

   The filling must be cold and thick. Warm or loose filling will make your arancini impossible to form. It will ooze out the sides and make you miserable.
6. 6

   Form the arancini

   Wet your hands with cold water. Take about one-third cup of cold rice and flatten it in your palm into a disk about four inches across. Place a heaping tablespoon of the cold ragù in the center and push two cubes of mozzarella into the meat. Cup your hand and bring the edges of the rice up and over the filling, pressing and shaping into a ball. The filling should be completely enclosed with no cracks. If the rice cracks, wet your hands again and smooth the surface. Repeat with remaining rice and filling.

   If you want to make pointed arancini in the Catania style, form them into cones instead of balls. The pointed end should stand upright. This takes practice.
7. 7

   Bread the arancini

   Set up three shallow bowls: flour in the first, beaten eggs in the second, breadcrumbs in the third. Roll each arancino in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg, letting excess drip off. Roll in breadcrumbs, pressing gently to adhere. For extra crunch, dip again in egg and roll again in breadcrumbs. Place on a baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set the coating.

8. 8

   Fry the arancini

   Pour oil into a heavy pot to a depth of at least 4 inches. Heat to 350°F. Use a thermometer. Fry the arancini in batches of two or three, turning occasionally, until deep golden brown on all sides, about 5 to 6 minutes per batch. The oil temperature will drop when you add the arancini; adjust heat to maintain 340-350°F. Remove with a slotted spoon to a wire rack set over a baking sheet.

   If your oil is too hot, the outside will burn before the center warms through. If too cool, the arancini will absorb oil and become greasy. Temperature control is not optional.
9. 9

   Rest and serve

   Let the arancini rest for 3 to 4 minutes before serving. This allows the interior to finish warming from residual heat and prevents burned mouths. The mozzarella should stretch when you pull the arancino apart. Serve warm, not hot. They do not need sauce. The sauce is inside.

Chef Tips

• •Low-moisture mozzarella is correct here, not fresh mozzarella di bufala. Fresh mozzarella releases too much water when heated and makes the filling soggy. The Sicilians know what they are doing.
• •Arancini can be formed and breaded, then frozen on a baking sheet and transferred to freezer bags. Fry directly from frozen, adding two minutes to the frying time. Thawing first makes them fall apart.
• •In Sicily, arancini are street food, sold from glass cases at bars and cafes, eaten standing up for breakfast or as a midday snack. They are not served with marinara sauce on the side. This is an American invention.
• •Some Sicilian versions include a béchamel-based filling instead of ragù. Others use ham and cheese, or spinach. The ragù version is most traditional to Palermo. Ask a Sicilian which is correct and prepare for a lengthy argument.

Advance Preparation

• •The rice and ragù can be made one day ahead and refrigerated separately. Cold components are actually preferable for forming.
• •Formed and breaded arancini can be refrigerated for up to 8 hours before frying. Bring to room temperature for 20 minutes before frying.
• •Fried arancini can be kept warm in a 200°F oven for up to 30 minutes, but they are best eaten promptly. Reheating in the oven at 375°F for 10 minutes works if necessary.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 165g)