Traditional Messina recipe - How to make the Arancini Messinesi

Introduction to the recipe

Like all the traditional recipes of our collection, we limit ourselves to be as close as possible to tradition.

What does it mean? If you are from Messina and you have advice to give us, it will be welcomed with pleasure. The goal is to improve the recipe, so that it can be a reference point for everyone.

Here is the complete recipe!

Traditional

Average

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:

100 grams of pork cheek
100 gr of minced pork
100 gr of ground beef
½ onion
100 gr of peas
3 tablespoons of tomato paste
half a glass of white wine
1 bay leaf
150 gr of mortadella (small squares)

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

Finely chop the onion and brown it with a little oil
Add the minced pork, veal and the bacon previously diced
Add the peas and blend with the wine
After dissolving the concentrate in a glass of water, add it to the meat, add the bay leaf, season with salt and pepper and season with a pinch of nutmeg
Cook over low heat until the sauce will not be reduced and in half cooking add the mortadella
Turn off the heat and let it cool. You can also prepare the sauce the day before

Also prepare some cubes of Caciocavallo, as it will be necessary to alternate ragout and cheese during the shaping of the arancino to fill it with seasoning.

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.