The Catania recipe of the legendary Arancino al Ragù

La ricetta catanese del leggendario Arancino al Ragù

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

However, it is certainly true that it is our recipe, i.e. the one that from 1983 to today, for 365 days a year (for breakfast, lunch and dinner), many Sicilians (and non-Sicilians...) have enjoyed on the slopes of Etna in the charming town of Mascalucia.

In this particular moment in which we are forced to deprive ourselves of one of the most beloved pleasures for our palate as true Sicilians, we at the Ottagono feel obliged to share the recipe of our "strong piece".

We hope this way, to continue to keep the relationship with each of you alive, in the hope of hugging each other again soon.

And now, good preparation!

Difficulty : high

Time : about 5 hours

Doses : about 10 arancini with meat sauce

Cost : medium

Ingredients list:

Ragout ingredients

  • 50g onion
  • 50g carrots
  • 50 g celery
  • 20ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 200 g of coarsely ground beef mince
  • 200 g of beef for stew cut into small cubes
  • 600 g of tomato puree
  • 20 g of double concentrate
  • 40 g of sugar
  • 10 g of salt
  • 1 vegetable stock cube
  • 100 g of peas
  • 500 g of Edamer cheese
  • 1/2 glass of red wine

    Rice ingredients

    • 1 kg of Roman rice
    • 2.5 liters of water
    • 20 g of salt
    • 1 cube of meat
    • 150 g of butter
    • 1 g of saffron

      Breading ingredients

      • 800 g of 00 flour
      • 1 liter of water
      • 600g breadcrumbs

        Frying ingredients

        • 3 liters of sunflower oil

          After having searched for all the ingredients, the procedure begins which consists of 6 distinct phases (be very careful to respect the rest times of the preparations):

          • A) Preparation of meat sauce,
          • B) Preparation of rice,
          • C) Unbreaded arancino,
          • D) Breading of the arancini,
          • E) Frying,
          • F) Tasting!
          • A) Let's start with the preparation of the ragu
            1. Pour 20 ml of extra virgin olive oil into the pan and slowly fry the onion, carrot and celery (50 g per ingredient).
            2. When the ceiling is well browned, increase the intensity of the flame and add the minced coarsely ground beef (200g) and the beef for stew (200g) until browned (about 5 minutes).
            3. Add half a glass of red wine and let it evaporate.
            4. Add 600g of tomato puree , mix everything and, continuing to mix, add an ingredient every 30 seconds: 10g of salt, 40g of sugar, 1 cube of stock cube, 20g of double concentrate. After 15 minutes add the peas (100 g).
            5. Cook over a low flame for about two hours, or at least until the ragù is well congealed and not liquid.
            6. Rule of salt and black pepper.
            7. After the first preparation, let the ragù rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour .
            8. After resting, mix the ragout (about 800 g) with 500 g of Edamer cheese cut into small cubes.
              ragout for arancini

                • B) Let's continue with the preparation of the rice :
                  1. Boil 2.5 liters of water,
                  2. Lower the gas flame,
                  3. Add 1 kg of Roma rice,
                  4. Add an ingredient every 30 seconds mixing with a ladle: 20 g of salt, 1 cube of meat cube, 150 g of butter, 1 of saffron,
                  5. Cook over low heat until the water is completely absorbed into the rice,
                  6. salt rule,
                  7. Pour the rice onto a worktop and wait for it to become warm before working it with the ragù.

                      • C) After letting the ragu and rice rest, let's shape our arancino:
                      1. Put the warm rice on the work surface on your left, and a bowl with the ragù on your right.
                      2. Fill your left hand with a generous fistful of rice, open your left palm and lightly compact the rice with your right hand.
                      3. With your right hand, take about 70g of ragout and place it in the center of your left hand with the rice.
                      4. Wrap the ragù in the rice and ball it with both hands until it reaches a spherical shape (although here in Catania the original shape of the arancino al ragù is pointed, we recommend the spherical shape because it is simpler).
                      5. Repeat the operation until the ingredients run out.
                      6. Let the unbreaded arancini rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes .

                      • D) Let's prepare the breading:
                        1. Pour 1 liter of water , 800 g of 00 flour into a bowl and mix everything until you obtain a slightly thick batter.
                        2. Pour 600 g of breadcrumbs on the countertop.
                        3. Place a tray with the unbreaded arancini on your right and, in sequence from right to left, the bowl with water and flour, the bowl with the breadcrumbs and an empty tray.
                        4. Take the first arancino and immerse it in the first bowl, make sure that it gets wet in all its parts and let it drip in order to leave a very light patina of batter.
                        5. Roll the arancino in the breadcrumbs placed on the table, making sure that its surface is completely wrapped in a very thin layer of breadcrumbs. Compact everything and place the breaded arancino in the empty tray on your left.
                        6. Repeat the operation for all the arancini.

                          • E) Finally, turn on the fryer (or a pot with about 3 liters of sunflower oil ) bring the sunflower oil to about 180°C and fry the arancini for at least 4 minutes until the breading is complete. .

                          • F) After frying, wait at least 3 minutes before enjoying it!
                          Leave a comment here for any report or additional information.
                           

                          11 comments


                          • Angela

                            Buonissimi, oggi li farò sicuramente


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