The Catanese recipe for the legendary Arancino al Ragù

The web is full of recipes and legends, and the one that follows is probably neither the last nor the best.

But it is certainly true that it is our recipe: the one that, from 1983 to today, 365 days a year (at breakfast, lunch and dinner), so many Sicilians (and not only...) have enjoyed on the slopes of Etna in the charming town of Mascalucia.

At this particular time, when we are forced to go without one of the pleasures most loved by our true Sicilian palates, we at Ottagono feel duty-bound to share the recipe for our "signature dish".

In this way we hope to keep our bond with each of you alive, looking forward to seeing you again soon.

And now, happy cooking!

Difficulty: high

Time: about 5 hours

Makes: about 10 arancini al ragù

Cost: medium

List of ingredients:

Ragù ingredients

• 50 g onion
• 50 g carrots
• 50 g celery
• 20 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 200 g coarsely minced beef
• 200 g stewing beef cut into small cubes
• 600 g tomato passata
• 20 g double-concentrated tomato purée
• 40 g sugar
• 10 g salt
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 100 g peas
• 500 g Edam cheese
• 1/2 glass red wine

Rice ingredients

• 1 kg Roma rice
• 2.5 l water
• 20 g salt
• 1 meat stock cube
• 150 g butter
• 1 g saffron

Breading ingredients

• 800 g 00 flour
• 1 l water
• 600 g breadcrumbs

Frying ingredients

• 3 litres sunflower oil

Once you have gathered all the ingredients, the method begins; it consists of 6 separate stages (be very careful to respect the resting times):

• A) Making the meat ragù,
• B) Making the rice,
• C) Shaping the unbreaded arancino,
• D) Breading the arancini,
• E) Frying,
• F) Tasting!

• A) Let's start by making the ragù

1. Pour 20 ml of extra virgin olive oil into the pan and gently fry the onion, carrot and celery (50 g of each) over a low heat.
2. When the soffritto is nicely golden, turn up the heat and add the coarsely minced beef (200 g) and the stewing beef (200 g), and brown (about 5 minutes).
3. Add half a glass of red wine and let it evaporate.
4. Add 600 g of tomato passata, stir everything and, while still stirring, add one ingredient every 30 seconds: 10 g salt, 40 g sugar, 1 vegetable stock cube, 20 g double-concentrated tomato purée. After 15 minutes add the peas (100 g).
5. Cook over a low heat for about two hours, or at least until the ragù is nicely thick and no longer runny.
6. Season with salt and black pepper.
7. Once this first preparation is done, leave the ragù to rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
8. After resting, mix the ragù (about 800 g) with 500 g of Edam cheese cut into small cubes.

• B) Next, let's make the rice:

1. Bring 2.5 l of water to the boil,
2. Lower the gas,
3. Add 1 kg of Roma rice,
4. Add one ingredient every 30 seconds, stirring with a ladle: 20 g salt, 1 meat stock cube, 150 g butter, 1 g saffron,
5. Cook over a low heat until the water has been completely absorbed by the rice,
6. Season with salt,
7. Spread the rice out on a surface and wait until it is lukewarm before working it with the ragù.

• C) Once the ragù and rice have rested, let's shape our arancino:

1. Put the lukewarm rice on the work surface to your left, and a bowl of ragù to your right.
2. Fill your left hand with a generous handful of rice, open your left palm and lightly press the rice down with your right hand.
3. With your right hand take about 70 g of ragù and place it in the centre of the rice in your left hand.
4. Wrap the ragù in the rice and roll it between both hands into a ball (although here in Catania the original shape of the arancino al ragù is pointed, we recommend a round shape because it is easier).
5. Repeat until you have used up the ingredients.
6. Leave the unbreaded arancini to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

• D) Let's prepare the breading:

1. Pour 1 l of water and 800 g of 00 flour into a bowl and mix until you have a slightly thick batter.
2. Spread 600 g of breadcrumbs on the work surface.
3. On the work surface, place a tray with the unbreaded arancini on your right and then, from right to left, the bowl of flour and water, the breadcrumbs and an empty tray.
4. Take the first arancino and dip it in the first bowl, making sure it is coated all over, and let it drip so that only a very thin film of batter remains.
5. Roll the arancino in the breadcrumbs on the table so that its surface is completely covered by a very thin layer of breadcrumbs. Press lightly and place the breaded arancino on the empty tray to your left.
6. Repeat for all the arancini.

• E) Finally, switch on the deep fryer (or a pan with about 3 litres of sunflower oil), bring the sunflower oil to about 180°C and fry the arancini for at least 4 minutes until the breading is completely golden.

• F) After frying, wait at least 3 minutes before enjoying it!