Sicilian street food: Arancine palermitane al ragú 

The question arises spontaneously: is it called “arancina” or “arancino”?

The answer deserves a separate article. In short, in Palermo it is called arancinA and its shape is strictly round, while in Catania it is called arancinO and takes the shape of a cone.

The Arancini or Arancine are a typical specialty of Sicilian cuisine. A delicious street food loved all over the world. They are small timbales of rice, round or cone-shaped, filled with anything you could imagine, however, the traditional filling is meat sauce. The main feature of rice arancine is their crunchy crust that covers a soft and tasty heart, which resembles an orange (“arancia” in Italian) in its color and shape, hence the name “arancine”!

Hot or cold, they taste excellent and they are usually served as an appetizer together with Potato Croquettes, Mozzarella in Carrozza, Rice Suppli, Sfincione Palermitano and other delicacies. They are also ideal for enriching buffets! But they are so rich and complete that they can be enjoyed on their own as a single dish.

INGREDIENTS for about 10 pieces

For the rice	Quantity
Carnaroli rice or vialone nano	500grs
Butter	70grs
Saffron	2 sachets
Salt	to taste

For the meat sauce (“ragù di carne”)	Quantity
Minced pork	150grs
Minced beef	50grs
Onion	1/2
Carrot	1/2
Celery	a piece
Bay	2 leaves
Cloves	2 – 3
Extra virgin olive oil	2 – 3 tablespoons
Thick tomato sauce	200ml
Peas	100grs
White wine	1/2 glass
Salt	to taste
Caciocavallo cheese (grated) + 50 grs in cubes (optional)	80grs

For the breading	Quantity
00 flour	(6 – 8 tablespoons and even a little more depending on how much the arancini absorb)
Water	as required
Breadcrumbs (could be gluten-free)	as required

Preparation method

First of all, boil the rice in plenty of water and salt, and drain when “al dente”. Stir in a saucepan with butter and saffron until the mixture is perfectly blended and creamy. Transfer to a large baking tray so that the rice can cool down evenly.

For the meat sauce filling

Chop the onion, the celery and the carrot very finely and fry in oil. Add the minced meat, let it brown for 1 minute, and then blend with white wine. Allow the wine to evaporate, then pour in the tomato puree, bay leafs, cloves, and cover with a lid. Cook at a low temperature for at least 50 minutes.

The meat sauce must be thick! Remove the lid, add the peas and cook until the peas are ready and the broth has evaporated well. This will take about 15 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves and cloves and leave to cool for half an hour. Then, add the grated caciocavallo. Add salt and leave to cool completely. The secret to perfect arancine is a thick and compact ragú!

How to make the shape of the arancine

First make sure that the rice and the meat sauce are completely cold.

1: Take the rice and form a half-sphere using the palm of your hand, flatten the central part of the half-sphere and add the filling;

2: Add more rice to cover the sauce well;

3: Using both hands, form regular balls.

Store the rice balls in the freezer for a couple of hours before doing the breading.

For the double breading

In a bowl with high sides, add the flour and mix it with a few tablespoons of water in order to create a thick and sticky batter that is not too runny. Dip the arancino and make sure that it is completely covered with the batter. Then, transfer it to the bowl with the breadcrumbs and cover it completely.

Once you have finished making the arancini you can keep them in the fridge for 2 – 3 days, freeze them or fry them.

For frying

Use a saucepan with high sides. Pour plenty of peanut oil and, when the oil is boiling at a temperature of 175 °, lower the arancini in batches of no more than 3 pieces at a time. You can evaluate the perfect oil temperature by dipping a toothpick. If it fills with bubbles it is ready! Deep fry the arancini until golden and crispy.

Your arancine palermitane al ragù are ready! Hot, very crunchy and delicious!

---

Buy the products for this recipes

Know our Producers

• Olio Vardaro

Learn more about this Region

• Sicily