Arancini -- Jasper's Ristorante
Author: Pizza Today
Recipe type: appetizers
Serves: 12 large, 24 small
Recipe courtesy of Jasper J Mirabile Jr., chef/co-owner of Jasper’s Ristorante in Kansas City, Missouri
Ingredients
- 21/2 cups Arborio rice
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup grated Romano cheese
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 medium onion chopped fine
- ½ pounds of ground beef or Italian sausage
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 6-ounce can tomato paste mixed with 3 tablespoons water
- 3 cups extra fine breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Cook rice until tender.
- Drain and cool.
- Add two eggs along with cheese, salt and pepper.
- Mix well and set aside.
- While rice cooks, brown onions and meat in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Add tomato paste mix.
- Simmer for a few minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Cool.
- Place 2 tablespoons rice in the palm of your hand.
- Make a well in the rice; place about 1 tablespoon of meat mixture into the well.
- Mold rice around meat to form a ball or egg shape.
- Repeat with remaining rice and meat.
- Heat remaining cup of olive oil in a sauté pan over high heat.
- Crack remaining two eggs in a bowl.
- Whisk.
- Dip rice balls in beaten egg, roll in breadcrumbs and drop them in the hot well, making sure they’re not touching one another.
- Sauté rice balls until golden brown on all sides, about three minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove rice balls and drain them on a paper towel.
- Repeat with remaining rice balls.
- Serve warm.