Arancini are a specialty of Sicilian cuisine. included in the list of Italian agri-food products (PAT) of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies.
Arancini: a bit of history
There are uncertainties about the origin of this delicacy. There are those who believe that arancini date back to the period of Muslim domination because at that time the custom of eating rice and saffron seasoned with herbs and meat was introduced in Sicily. The breading, on the other hand, dates back to Frederick II of Swabia: at that time people were looking for a way to preserve the product well during travel or hunting. And the breading would also have allowed the food to be transported easily.
Arancino or arancina?
As for the genus of the name, there is a sort of split that divides Sicily in two: in the western part it is called arancina (roundabout); in the eastern part it is called arancino and it is round or pointed. The timbale of rice owes its name to the analogy with the fruit of the orange, or the orange.
The origins of the name
It could be said that the correct name is arancina, but in reality this is not the case. As we have already said, it seems that the Arabs introduced the dish and it was round in shape; so the comparison with oranges arose spontaneously. However there are no written sources regarding the preparation of the product.
Only in 1857, in Sicilian-Italian dictionary by Giuseppe Biundi, we talk about arancinu defining it as "Sweet rice dish made in the shape of orange tree". However, there are no references for what concerns the use of meat and tomato, the latter cultivated in Sicily at the beginning of the 800th century. While, according to another hypothesis, it seems that the name derives not only from the shape, but also from the color of the orange itself. In Sicilian dialect, the fruit of the orange is called aranciu (orange).
The comment of the Accademia della Crusca
The Accademia della Crusca also intervened on the diatribe. "Arancino" it does nothing but Italianise the dialectal morphological model; "Rice ball" re-proposes the model of standard Italian. This assumption is also confirmed by the "Rice balls each as big as a mellone" of the Viceroy (1894) from Catania Federico de roberto, which was based on a Tuscan language model. And, again according to the Academy: "the name of the Sicilian croquettes has both the feminine and the masculine form, determined by the diatopically differentiated use".
Arancini: which ingredients to use?
For ragout you will need: half onion; half a carrot; 100 grams of minced veal; 50 grams of minced pork; extra virgin olive oil; tomato puree (300 ml); fine peas (70 grams). Then: rice (half a kilo), saffron (one sachet), butter (40 grams), salt. For the breading: farina 00 (300 grams); salt; water as required; bread crumbs. They will also be needed mozzarella cheese e seed oil for frying.
Arancini: the first stages of realization ...
As for the preparation, cook the rice al dente in plenty of broth, until completely absorbed. During the cooking phase, remember to add the saffron as well: the latter will give the rice a golden color. Then, put the rice on a fairly large tray, let it cool. In the meantime, prepare the ragout: take the onion and chop it. Put it in a pan and fry it with a little oil; then add the carrot cut into small pieces and the minced meat. Brown and deglaze with the wine. As soon as it has evaporated, add the tomato puree, adjusting to your liking. Halfway through cooking, add the peas and cook over low heat for at least half an hour. Cut the mozzarella into cubes.
… Let's shape the arancini!
As soon as the rice has cooled, you can start making arancini. Take a small pile, place it in the center of your hand, forming a sort of hollow. Then add the ragù and mozzarella. Close the base of the arancino with more rice and shape it giving it the pointed shape. Now prepare the batter. In a bowl pour the flour, a pinch of salt and water and mix to prevent lumps from forming.
As soon as it is ready, pass the arancini in the batter and then put them in the breadcrumbs. Once this step is complete, heat the oil in a saucepan and start frying the arancini. Drain them as soon as they have reached a golden color. Allow the extra oil to absorb using absorbent paper or bread paper. And good appetite.
Food container
They can be kept in the fridge for a couple of days. To shorten the various steps, you can prepare both the rice and the meat sauce the day before and store them in the fridge. In addition, they can be frozen. But beware: they must not be fried.
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