Sicilian Arancini is both a tasty snack and one of the island’s most recognisable elements. We’ll go over all things Arancini today – Where did it come from? What is an arancini? How do you make it yourself?
Arancini are Sicilian rice balls, usually between 8-10 centimetres in diameter. The balls are first stuffed and then coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried. The usual stuffings include ragu, i.e meat with herbs and tomato sauce, mozzarella or other cheeses, ham and béchamel sauce. There are loads of different varieties of Arancini and every region of Sicily will have it a bit different, including such cool options as mushroom and fish stuffing.
Aranciu is Italian for orange, and it’s probably no challenge to figure out why Arancini is called that. In the area around Catania and Etna, though, the Arancini is actually formed into cone shapes (in honour of Etna). There are also versions which resemble a pear.
History of Arancini
The exact date and author of the first Arancini is unknown. It’s assumed to date back to the 10th century, when Sicily was still ruled by Arabs. It was the Arabs who brought in rice (and saffron), so it’d be difficult for Arancini to exist prior. As such, the little deep-fried oranges may have about a thousand years worth of history. Naturally, we can’t know how different Arancini was back then, as it has certainly gone through hundreds of variations throughout the years.
There are also mentions that Arancini weren’t breaded until the reign of Frederick II (who became the ruler of Sicily in 1197). We also do know that Frederick was keen on Arancini as a dish for after his hunting games. Still, the first formal written references we have to Arancini appear in the mid-19th century. In 1852, it’s described as a savoury dish. In 1857, in GIuseppe Biundini’s book, Arancini is actually described as a sweet dish. The sweet version is much more recent, though, dating back to 1646.
Locals in practically every town in Sicily may assume Arancini to originate from their place. Where it actually comes from, we don’t know. One thing is for certain – it’s an absolute treat cherished all over the island and a highlight of the Sicilian cuisine that you simply have to try yourself.
A simple recipe for Arancini
If you’re not in Sicily at the moment, don’t fret. You can make your own Arancini! There are so many recipes that it’s hard to find one which suits you best, so go trial-and-error. We’ll give you our preferred way of going about it. We’ll be using minced beef, though you can also opt for chicken. You can also find plenty of vegan/vegetarian recipes online. The principles will be relatively the same either way.
Main ingredients:
– arborio rice
– a teaspoon of salt
– water
– 2 eggs
– parmesan cheese
– melted butter
– tomato sauce
– minced beef
– onion
– breadcrumbs
Seasonings:
– salt, pepper, oregano, basil
Preparing the arancini
- Drop in the onions on medium heat, cook the rice on the side in the meantime
- Mix in the rice with the cheese and butter, combine to form the ‘dough’
- sidenote: Arancini can be coloured with saffron, but that’s a really pricey luxury spice, so we would say just omit it
- Place the dough in the fridge
- For the filling, season the minced meat and mix it with the onions and tomato sauce (you can either make your own basic tomato sauce or just buy a premade one)
- Take out your ‘dough’ and take some onto your hand. Flatten it at the bottom to make room for the filling
- Place a bit of the filling onto the rice and form a ball. You’ll have to have more rice than meat in your ratio or else the ball falls apart
- Coat the balls in breadcrumbs and fry in preheated oil for a few minutes, until they turn ‘orange’
- Remove the Arancini from the oil, preferably onto an absorbent paper towel so as to remove the excess fat.
- That’s it! You can serve your Arancini as either a snack or the main course
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