Arancini Siciliano | Sicilian Arancini
One of the most extraordinary things about cooking is having leftovers to make other delicious dishes, such as taking leftover risotto to make Arancini, a breaded, fried to golden perfection rice croquette. This savory popular Sicilian street food makes an excellent pre-dinner starter or on-the-go snack. Its name, like its size, comes from the translation of ‘small oranges.’ Each crispy, cheese-filled bite is greeted with an explosion of meat ragu’ and peas. Pair these heavenly rice balls with a nice glass of Devay, a savory Sangiovese+Montepulciano blend from Lumavite.
To make this vegan-friendly, substitute the eggs with an egg replacement. Use vegan ground meat, like Beyond Meat or Impossible Meat. Substitute the Parmesan cheese with vegan cheese. I use Violife Plant-Based Parmesan cheese.
See ingredients, directions and pairings.
Ingredients
Leftover Risotto
1/2 Onion, chopped
1/2 cup Tomato or Arrabiatta Sauce
1/2 cup Ground Meat; Beef, Chicken, or Turkey work best, or Beyond Meat to make this vegan
1 cups Peas, fresh or frozen
2 Eggs, beaten with a pinch of Sea Salt
1 Partially Skim Mozzarella Ball, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Breadcrumbs or Panko
Sea Salt and Pepper. to taste
EVOO or Vegetable Oil, for frying
1 Recipe Homemade Tomato or Arrabiatta Sauce, to serve with Arancini. Reserve 1/2 cup to add to the meat filling, see above.
Directions
Saute the onions in EVOO over medium heat, until translucent.
Add the ground meat and peas, and brown the meat.
Stir in the 1/2 cup tomato sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Allow the meat filling to cool.
Scoop risotto using a soup spoon so each ball is uniform in size.
Firmly press the edges together to seal the ball.
Roll the risotto with the palm of your hands to create a ball.
Dip into the egg.
Roll in the breadcrumbs.
Repeat until all the risotto is gone.
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is very hot, I drop a breadcrumb into the oil to test when it is hot enough, and add the Arancini, cooking until browned.
Do not overcrowd the pan.
Transfer the Arancini to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Serve immediately with a side of tomato sauce for dipping.
Additional Pairings
Our Sparkling Wine Collection
Contact
Contact
Sign up and keep up to date on upcoming wine releases and events.
Stay Connected
Sign up and keep up to date on upcoming wine releases and events.
