Chef-tested recipe
Golden saffron rice balls with a rich ragù, peas and molten cheese at the centre.
Arancini al ragù are one of Sicily’s great street foods: seasoned rice shaped around a concentrated meat sauce, peas and cheese, then breaded and fried. One cut-open arancino reveals every layer.
The rice and filling must both be completely cold. Make them in advance, keep the ragù thick and shape with damp hands so the balls hold together without becoming heavy.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 16 servings
- Prep Time
- 1 hour
- Cook Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Total Time
- 4 hours 15 minutes
- Cuisine
- Sicilian, Italian
- Course
- Canapé
- Best Served With
- Serve hot as street food or with a simple tomato sauce, green salad and lemon. They are substantial enough for a light meal.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
- Wide saucepanpaid link
- Frying panpaid link
- Two shallow trayspaid link
- Mixing bowlspaid link
- Deep saucepan or fryerpaid link
- Thermometerpaid link
- Cooling rackpaid link
Ingredients
For the ragù
- 25 ml olive oil Shop paid link
- 100 g onion, finely diced
- 60 g carrot, finely diced
- 60 g celery, finely diced
- 180 g minced beef
- 120 g minced pork
- 100 ml dry red wine
- 250 g tomato passata
- 20 g tomato paste
- 100 g green peas
- 5 g fine saltpaid link
- 2 g black pepper
For the rice
- 400 g Arborio or Carnaroli ricepaid link
- 1.2 litres light chicken stock, kept hot
- 0.2 g saffron threads
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 80 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
- 2 large eggs, about 110 g
- 6 g fine saltpaid link
For shaping and frying
- 150 g low-moisture mozzarella, cut into 16 cubes
- 120 g plain flourpaid link
- 3 large eggs, about 165 g, beaten
- 250 g fine dry breadcrumbspaid link
- 1.5 litres neutral frying oilpaid link
Preparation Overview
Cook a compact ragù and a relatively dry saffron rice, then cool both completely on shallow trays. Enclose a small amount of filling and mozzarella inside firmly packed rice. Chill the shaped balls, coat carefully and fry until crisp and hot at the centre.
Method
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For the ragù, heat the olive oil and cook the onion, carrot and celery for 8 minutes. Add the beef and pork and brown thoroughly.
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Pour in the wine and reduce until almost dry. Stir in the passata, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes until very thick; add the peas for the final 5 minutes. Cool completely.
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Toast the saffron in a dry spoon for a few seconds, then steep it in 60 ml hot stock.
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Place the rice in a wide saucepan and add the stock gradually, stirring often, until tender and fairly dry, about 18 minutes. Stir in saffron liquid, butter, Parmigiano and salt.
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Spread the rice on a tray. When no longer steaming, mix in the 2 eggs. Cover and chill the rice and ragù for at least 2 hours.
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With damp hands, flatten about 110 g rice in one palm. Add 20 g ragù and one mozzarella cube. Close the rice around the filling and compact into a ball.
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Chill the shaped arancini for 20 minutes. Roll each in flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs, pressing gently so the coating adheres.
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Heat the oil to 170°C. Fry in small batches for 6 to 7 minutes until deep golden and heated through. Drain on a rack and rest for 3 minutes.
Beginner Technique Notes
- Loose, hot rice is difficult to shape. Cooling allows the starch, butter and egg to bind.
- The ragù should hold its shape on a spoon. Watery sauce can burst through the rice.
- Keep the mozzarella cube small and completely enclosed to prevent leaks.
Tips and Variations
- Prepare the rice and ragù the day before to divide the work.
- Use fine dry breadcrumbs for an even traditional crust.
- If the balls soften while coating, chill them again before frying.
Storage
Refrigerate cooked arancini for up to 3 days and reheat at 190°C until the centre is hot. Freeze breaded uncooked arancini for up to 2 months and fry from frozen at 165°C.
Nutritional Value
Approximately 310 kcal, 13 g protein, 35 g carbohydrate and 13 g fat per arancino, depending on oil absorption.
Allergen Notes
Contains milk, egg and gluten. Wine may contain sulphites.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use leftover risotto?
Yes, if it is firm, cold and not overly creamy. You may need a little egg or breadcrumbs to help it bind.
Why did my arancini open while frying?
The filling may be too wet, the rice too loose or the balls insufficiently chilled and compacted.
Can I bake them?
You can bake or air-fry them with oil spray, but deep-frying gives the classic even crust.
