Arancine Palermitane
Crisp golden saffron rice spheres filled with a rich meat ragù and sweet peas, a definitive street food classic from Palermo in western Sicily.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 90 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 580 kcal
Equipment
- •Large saucepan
- •Frying pan
- •Deep heavy pot
- •Baking sheet
- •Slotted spoon
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 580 kcal
- fat
- 24 g
- carbs
- 74 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 18 g
- calories
- 580 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Cook the rice in salted boiling water until tender and dry, then stir in saffron, butter, and grated cheese.
- 2
Spread the saffron rice across a large baking sheet to cool completely.
- 3
Sauté the onion in olive oil over medium heat until soft and translucent.
- 4
Add the minced meat, browning well while breaking up any large clumps.
- 5
Stir in the tomato paste, passata, and peas, then simmer for thirty minutes until the ragù is very thick.
- 6
Leave the cooked ragù to cool completely to room temperature.
- 7
Whisk the plain flour and cold water together in a bowl into a smooth, thin pastella (flour batter).
- 8
Flatten a palmful of cooled rice, place a spoonful of ragù in the centre, and close tightly into a sphere.
- 9
Dip each formed rice sphere into the pastella batter, then roll thoroughly in breadcrumbs.
- 10
Heat frying oil in a deep pot to 175°C.
- 11
Fry the arancine in batches for six minutes until deeply golden and crisp, then drain on paper towels.
Chef's tips
Ensure the rice and ragù are completely cold before shaping to prevent the balls from falling apart. Make sure the ragù is reduced to a very dense sauce so trapped steam does not rupture the crust during frying.
Ingredient substitutions
- caciocavallo cheese → Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano for a sharp, savoury note
- Carnaroli rice → Arborio rice or Vialone Nano
Storage
Store leftover arancine in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Reheating
Reheat on a baking tray in an oven preheated to 180°C for twelve minutes until crisp; do not microwave.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Shaping the balls while the rice is still warm, which causes them to lose structure.
- •Frying in oil that is not hot enough, causing the arancine to absorb oil and become greasy.
- •Leaving the meat filling too wet, which makes the spheres burst open during frying.
Serving suggestions
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