Arancini with veal straccetti and artichokes

Introduction to the recipe

It is common knowledge that meat and artichokes go well together.

So why not use them to make arancini with a savoury and wonderfully melting filling? Perfect in autumn or spring, when fresh artichokes are in season, these arancini have an intense yet delicate flavour, to be enjoyed with every mouthful.

Gourmet

Medium

160 grams

Meat

Ingredients for about 12 arancini

For rice:

500 grams of rice ("Roma" and "Originario" rices, mixed in equal doses)
1.1 liter of vegetable stock
2 bags of saffron
10 grams of salt
60-100 grams of butter

For the finish:

100 gr of flour
180 ml of water
2 eggs
150 gr of bread crumbs

For the filling:

300 gr of veal for carpaccio
8-10 artichoke hearts (about 300 gr)
150 gr of provolone
half a glass of red wine
half onion
extra virgin olive oil
salt, black pepper

Preparation of rice and filling

Rice

How to prepare the rice:

In a saucepan, put the broth, the butter, the saffron and the salt
When the stock is boiling, add the rice and mix well
Cover and cook over low heat until the rice absorbs all the broth and is cooked but al dente
When cooked, stir, pour the rice on a cold surface and spread evenly to allow rapid cooling
When the rice is cool down, it is ready to prepare the arancini

Important

It is important to let the rice dry well during cooking. It should not be too hot or too wet, or it could stick to the mold.

For more informations about rice, Click here.

The filling

Blanch the artichoke hearts in salted water for 2 minutes, then cut them into thin slices
Cut the veal into straccetti (thin slices)
Finely chop the onion
Sauté the onion in a pan with a drizzle of oil, add the veal and the artichokes and let them sauté for a few minutes, until brown
Add the wine and simmer until reduced
Add half a cup of water, lower the heat, add salt and pepper to taste, and let simmer until the water has evaporated. Then remove from the heat and allow it to cool
Dice the cheese and add it to the other ingredients

How to shape the arancini

1 - Fill the base of the Arancinotto with rice and use a spoon to pack it down firmly.

2 - Put the lid on the base and insert the plunger as far as it will go.

3 - Remove the plunger and spoon your filling into the central hole, packing it in with a teaspoon to ensure there is a generous amount.

4 - Cover the top with a thin layer of rice and press it down using the other end of the plunger.

5 - Take the cover back off of the Arancinotto and gently remove your arancino.

How to frying the arancini

The finishing touch

Put the arancini in the batter and in the bread crumbs as follows:

In a bowl, place the flour
Add the egg and water and beat well with whips
When the batter is smooth and dense, pass the arancini
Immediately after having passed them in the batter, pass the arancini in bread crumbs

Frying

Fry in plenty of oil until golden brown, to ensure your arancini fry up perfectly, use one of the following oils: peanut oil, olive oil, or palm oil.
Heat the oil to the ideal temperature, 190°C, either in a frying pan or by setting the temperature on your deep fryer.
If using a pan, you can make sure that the oil has reached the proper temperature by dropping in a bread crumb. If it sizzles, then the oil is ready.
Immerse the arancini gently in the oil, only a few at a time, so as to prevent the temperature of the oil from falling too low.
When they are done, place the arancini on absorbent paper, then serve.
Serve the arancini with sauce on the side.

For more information about Finishing and Frying, Click here.

Enjoy your arancini!

Varation

For an even creamier arancino, add some béchamel sauce to the filling.

Bonus idea

If you are fond of strong contrasts, you can substitute the provola with a more strongly flavoured cheese, like Gorgonzola.

In Sicily, the importance of artichokes is connected not only to the cuisine, but also to culture and identity. Mythology tells of how Jupiter fell in love with the nymph Cynara but, when his love went unrequited, he took his revenge by turning her into an artichoke, as green and prickly as her nature. We find mention of the artichoke in Pliny the Elder’s Naturalis Historia, where he emphasises its restorative properties. The artichoke is thorny but full of surprises, a bit like Sicilians themselves.

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