Recipe - Ficoccelle with pistachio cream

Introduction to the recipe

The pistachio is rare and precious. Sicily is the only region in Italy that, thanks to the Arabs, produces pistachios. The most coveted variety is the pistachio from Bronte. It grows on the slopes of Mt. Etna and is used in a wide range of diverse recipes, both sweet and savoury. Ficoccelle with pistachio are a true delicacy, with their thin crunchy shell enclosing a centre of soft cream made with ground pistachios, to make it even more delicious.

Dessert

Medium

80 grams

Dessert

Ingredients for about 24 ficoccelle (80 grams)

For the rice:

500 grams of rice ("Roma" and "Originario" rices, mixed in equal doses)
500 ml of milk
500 ml of water
80 grams of butter
170 grams of sugar
1 vanilla stick

For the finishing touch:

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

For the filling:

300 grams of pistachio, toasted and peeled
100 gr of sugar
100 ml of milk

Preparation of rice and filling

Rice

How to prepare the rice:

Put the water and milk in a pan with the butter, the vanilla stick engraved for long and sugar. When it comes to a boil add the rice and mix well
Cover and cook over low heat until the rice absorbs everything and is cooked but al dente
pour the rice on a cold surface and spread evenly to allow rapid cooling
When the rice has cooled, it is ready to prepare the ficoccelle

It is important that the rice is quite dry and cold.

The filling

Place 200 gr of pistachios and the sugar into a food processor. Let the processor run and, after a while, the pistachios will release their essential oils and turn into a paste
Add the milk in a thin stream while continuing to run the food processor. Do not stop until the resulting cream is smooth in texture, free of lumps and not too dense
Chop the remaining pistachios coarsely, add them to the pistachio cream and stir them in well, then transfer the resulting mixture to a pastry bag

Shape the ficoccelle

Buy the Arancini Maker

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.

Frying

The finishing touch

Put the ficoccelle 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 ficoccelle
Immediately after having passed them in the batter, pass the ficoccelle in bread crumbs

Frying

Fry in plenty of oil until golden brown, to ensure your ficoccelle 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 ficoccelle 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 ficoccelle on absorbent paper, then serve.
Roll the ficoccelle in castor sugar and serve