Mixing Bowl

Tarmo Hannula

MY TWIST For these arancinis I used a cooked artichoke sausage from Freedom Meat Lockers, white rice, chopped chard, cheddar cheese and bread crumbs mixed with salt, pepper and rosemary. I served it with a light tomato dipping sauce.

Simpler Arancinis

By SARAH RINGLER

Arancinis are a Sicilian meat and cheese mixture that is stuffed into little balls of rice and deep fried. These crispy and richly flavored balls are then served with a tomato-based dipping sauce. The name means “little orange,” which describes their appearance.

They are a traditional food going back to the 10th century when Sicily was part of the Byzantine Empire. Due to its location as the largest island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, it was important for maritime trade going back to the time of the Phoenicians in 700 BCE. It was later invaded and occupied by almost every growing power in the area from the Greeks, to the Romans, Germanic tribes, Arabs and Normans, finally joining Italy in 1860. Due to its isolation as an island and the influence of the invaders, Sicily developed its own cuisine.

Although the ingredients here are similar to Sicilian arancinis, this is a cheater version of the recipe. It replaces deep fat frying with baking and makes a smaller version. It is from Gina Homolka at skinnytaste.com.

There is a lot of flexibility in this recipe. It is a good way to use leftover rice, meat and greens. Whatever meat you use, it needs to be cooked and minced. You can experiment with the cheeses too, but one should be a melting cheese as it helps the balls stick together. The bread crumbs are an important final opportunity to add flavor. Oregano, basil and marjoram and common Italian herbs can be mixed in with a little salt and pepper.

Meatballs:

1 cup cooked room temperature brown or white rice 1/3 cup grated mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup chopped spinach 1 large egg white 3 tablespoons grated highly flavor cheese like asiago, Parmesan or Pecorino Romano 2 tablespoons marinara sauce or similar flavored tomato sauce (plus 3/4 cup more for serving)

For breading and baking:

Olive oil for greasing the pan 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 large egg and 1 large egg white beaten together 1/2 cup bread crumbs or panko

If you are using uncooked meat, fry it first in a small frying pan with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Break up the meat with a fork as it cooks until it is finely minced. Chop with a knife or small food processor if necessary.

In a medium bowl, combine the rice, minced sausage or meat, grated mozzarella, chopped spinach, egg white, Pecorino Romano cheese, and 2 tablespoons of marinara sauce. Mix well. Mixture may be refrigerated until ready to be breaded, baked and served.

Before serving, preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and oil a rimmed baking sheet.

Get out three small bowls and put flour in one bowl, beaten egg and egg white in a second bowl and bread crumbs in the third.

These steps are the trickiest. In your hands, roll about 1 heaping tablespoon of the rice-meat mixture into round balls that are about 1-2 inches in diameter. Quickly roll the ball in the flour, then the egg, and then in the bread crumbs, shaking off any excess at each step. Put the breaded rice balls on the prepared baking sheet. Dip your fingers in water if necessary. Makes about 10 balls.

Heat up some tomato-based or marinara sauce for dipping.

Bake the balls for 8 minutes, turn over, and bake for another 8 minutes, until they are a crisp golden brown. Cool a little before serving, and serve with hot marinara sauce.