Fried Stuffed Rice Balls

Name: Fried Stuffed Rice Balls
Yield: Makes 24
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 cup tomato sauce; ½ small carrot, peeled and finely chopped; 1½ cups Arborio rice; ½ small yellow onion, finely chopped; ¼ tsp. crushed saffron threads; 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tsp. tomato paste; ½ rib celery, finely chopped; 1 small red onion, finely chopped; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; ¼ cup flour; 2 tbsp. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano; Canola oil, for frying; 2 eggs; 2 cups dried bread crumbs; 3 oz. ground pork; 3 oz. ground beef

Preparation info

Makes
24

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Italian Comfort Food

By The Editors of Saveur

Published 2015

About

This savory, comforting snack—deep-fried, ragù-filled rice balls—is beloved throughout Sicily. Saffron, which gives the rice a distinctive yellow-orange color, is a reflection of an early culinary influence on the island by the Arabs, who ruled there during the 10th and 11th centuries.

Ingredients

3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
½ rib celery, finely chopped
½ small carrot, peeled

Europe
Italy
Starter
Mediterranean

Method

Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high. Add celery, carrot, and onion and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add beef and pork; cook, stirring often, until browned, 10–12 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce and paste; reduce heat to medium-low and cook, st