Recently I read a recipe from a Greek website for Sicilian Arancine. It read so bad that I have decided to publish “the real” Sicilian recipe.

SICILIAN RICE ORANGES

A R A N C I N E





4 cups rice
1½ sticks butter - room temperature
5 large egg separated
2 cups Parmiggiano cheese - grated
5 cups peanut oil - for deep frying
salt and pepper





In separate bowls place

2 cups home-made bread crumbs
And the
5 reserved egg whites, lightly beaten

Cook the rice 15 minutes and drain. Return to the pot and stir in the butter, salt and pepper and let cool overnight at room temperature or refrigerate. The next day: Stir Rice and add egg yolks - stir well and add grated Parmigiano cheese and stir well.

Place bread crumbs in a platter - beat the egg whites lightly and put next to pot with rice. Heat the oil in a deep pot for frying to 375 degrees.

Arancine can be frozen and microwave heated, if they last more than a week or two.

The stuffed version with meat, peas and vegetables, is basically the same recipe. Sauté 2 lbs. chopped meats in olive oil, when fully cooked add the peas and any other small cut vegetables you desire. Add 1 can (4½ ounces) of tomato paste, allow to simmer for one hour or so - or until the sauce is thick and the meat and vegetables are cooked. Allow to cool completely before placing a teaspoon into the middle of the rice ball.

Place a large handful of rice in your hand and roll into large size golf balls, make a cavity and stuff with a teaspoon of meat sauce and again shape into a ball.
Roll into the egg whites and into the bread crumbs and deep fry until golden brown. Drain on paper and allow to cool before serving.

To make the recipe a little richer and to make it look like a real orange, add a pinch of Saffron when cooking the rice and omit the tomato sauce.