Arancini, which are known as suppli, are a very popular snack in Italy. Basically, it’s a ball of rice with meat, cheese, peas, and corn (not necessary) covered with breadcrumbs. The way I was introduced to arancini was through my nonna. She grew up in Italy and spent half her life there. She had a large family with six siblings and because of their large family and lack of money, meat wasn’t always easy to get. Arancinis were only made twice a year: for Easter and my nonna’s birthday. Not only was the meat expensive but the arancinis also took a long time to make. My nonna got the recipe from her mother. It has been shared with each generation and one day, it’s going to be my mom’s turn to make them for the family.
My nonna makes them more often because the ingredients are much more easy to get now. Although Easter and my mother’s birthday is a tradition, we look forward to eating them more often. In my opinion, every time we eat this meal, it seems like it brings my family together. My nonna remembers her mother and her time in Italy and is grateful for what she has now. It's also a meal that we enjoy; it brings laughter to the dinner table and much more.
Recipe
Ingredients
– 2 lb Italian rice (Unico or Pastene)
– 4 egg yolks (set aside the egg whites)
– ¼ lb butter
– ¼ lb parmesan cheese
– ½ lb meat, minced
– 1 can tomato paste (Unico) + 1 can of water
– 500 g mozzarella (cubed)
– bread crumbs
– flour
Procedure
Ingredients
– 2 lb Italian rice (Unico or Pastene)
– 4 egg yolks (set aside the egg whites)
– ¼ lb butter
– ¼ lb parmesan cheese
– ½ lb meat, minced
– 1 can tomato paste (Unico) + 1 can of water
– 500 g mozzarella (cubed)
– bread crumbs
– flour
Procedure
- Brown minced meat with a small amount of butter. Add tomato paste and water. Cook for approximately 30 minutes. Set aside.
- Boil rice for the indicated time. Drain rice and add egg yolks, butter, and cheese. Mix well.
- Prepare rice balls. Take small portion of rice and add mince meat and cubed mozzarella in center. Top with another small portion of rice to form ball.
- Beat egg whites. Once rice balls are formed, coat with flour, then coat with egg whites followed by bread crumbs. Deep fry.
Photo source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Arancini_002.jpg
