Nonna Maria's Arancini

3:00 pm on 5 May 2023
Pietro Boscia with Nonna Maria's Arancini

Pietro Boscia with Nonna Maria's Arancini Photo: supplied

Ingredients

Arancini

  •     500g Arborio rice
  •     1 litre vegetable stock
  •     8 threads of saffron
  •     10g salt
  •     60g butter

Bolognese Ragu' 

  •     100g pork shoulder, minced
  •     100 g beef minced
  •     1/2 onion
  •     100g green peas
  •     3 tsp tomato paste
  •     500ml white wine
  •     1 bay leaf
  •     Pinch of nutmeg
  •     Salt
  •     Pepper

Crumb 

  •     Flour
  •     Egg
  •     Breadcrumbs
  •     Buffalo mozzarella
  •     Pecorino

Method

Ragu

For the best result make the ragu' the night before

Heat the oil, sweat the onion add beef and pork mince, cooked until it is brown

Add green peas and white wine

Add tomato paste with one cup of water and cook for 4 minutes

Finely grate nutmeg into the pot and add bay leaf

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook on low heat until reduced and you have a thick Bolognese ragu'

Remove from the heat and allow to cool

Rice

Bring vegetable stock, saffron, and salt to boil

In another pot toast rice for 30 seconds then add half of the vegetable stock

Once the stock has cooked down add the other half of the vegetable stock

Cooked the rice until is al dente (add more water if need)

Spread the rice and let cool on a cold surface

Crumb

Combined breadcrumb and pecorino and in a separate bowl whisk the egg

Cup the rice in your hand, make a slight dent and place the ragu' and buffalo mozzarella in the middle, cover with more rice and seal and shape into a cone

Dredge the arancini through the flour, egg, and breadcrumb

Deep-fry at 180C until a golden brown colour, let rest on the paper towel