My Sicilian recipe site
Frank Selvaggio

MISC:

ARANCINE
RICE PATTIES

Submitted by Jennifer Petrino as served at Misilmeri, Sicily in the office of the Ufficio Anagrafe
Recipe from Sicilian Cookery by Eufemia Azzolina Pupella

4 cups long grain rice
1 3/4 lbs ground beef
1 lb peas
5 cups bread crumbs
3/4 lb fresh caciocavallo or sharp provola cheese
1 cup grated pecorino nor parmesan cheese
1 medium onion
7-8 eggs
2 tbsp tomato paste or 1 can tomato concentrate
1/2 cup dry white wine
oil for frying
basil

Prep Time: 4 hours
Chop the onion and saute in a little oil in a frying pan until golden. Add the meat and stir. Pour in the wine and allow to evaporate. Dilute the tomato concentrate in hot water and add to cover the meat completely. Season with Salt, pepper, and basil. Simmer gently for about an hour. Add the peas and continue cooking for about 30 minutes. Stand a colander over a saucepan, pour in the sauce and separate out the solids from the liquid.
Cook the rice in plenty of salted water in a saucepan and drain while still firm (it still has to be fried). Return to the same pan, pour over some of the sauce and stir, adding more if necessary (the rice must be barely coloured).
Add the grated cheese and stir. When cold, add 2 whole eggs and stir. Meanwhile, close at hand, get ready a bowl with the breadcrumbs, a bowl with the diced cheese and a bowl in which to beat the remaining eggs, the saucepan with the rice and a bowl with water to dip your hands into. Turn some dry breadcrumbs onto large platters which while hold the arancine once they are ready.
Take a small quantity of the cooked rice in your right hand and transfer it to your dampened left hand. Make a shell which you will fill with a little of the meat and peas and 2-3 pieces of cheese. Close up the patty with some more rice and shape it into an "orange". Egg and crumb it, compressing it in both hands and place on the platter with the breadcrumbs. Continue until all the rice is used up. Deep fry in hot oil. To save on oil, I recommend using a not too large, deep sided pan, frying 3 or 4 patties at a time.