Gluten Free Arancini Recipe: A Sicilian Street Food (with a dairy free option)

There was something everyone else ate while I was in Italy that I really wanted to try, but there was simply no way to try it.

Arancini. They're little deep-fried rice balls with filling inside, and they are served either at street carts or in "bars," something that reminded me of an old-fashioned American soda fountain. They're a Sicilian specialty, and when I came home and made them for the boy and C, C told us a wonderful traveling story about arancini.


This was my traveling companion, the night we (they) ate arancini. Look at all that cheese!

She and a friend were traveling through Europe, but they didn't have a lot of money. They were headed to another country, out of Italy, and so they bought a whole bag full of arancini and stuffed them in their luggage. They managed to navigate a few more days in their new destination because of their bag full of delicious, filling, and simple arancini. Life savers, if you ask me.

So, I had to make it too. I had to find out what they tasted like. I managed to rustle up a recipe online, posted by a French-speaking Swiss man who blogs about his food adventures. The recipe was easy to follow, and the perfect time for me to crack open the 10 kilo bag of risotto rice I had picked up at a stop in Tuscany. The night before, as I was preparing the risotto and ragù according to the recipe, I had to keep spooning the finished risotto into my mouth. It was so tender and creamy, I could hardly put it down! This was perfect for it, because risotto rice is more starchy than other varieties, and lends itself well to constructing shapes with it. 

Arancini al Riso

adapted from the Arancini recipe on FXCuisine.com

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Risotto.

1 onion, finely minced

olive oil

2 cups risotto rice (authentic Italian risotto rice is best)

4 cups chicken broth or stock

Ragù.
1/2 cup pancetta, or bacon if you can't find pancetta
1 onion
1 carrot
1 celery stick
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 pound beef chuck
1 cup tomato paste or fresh tomatoes

1 cup chicken stock or broth

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

salt, pepper

When making the arancini:

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup tapioca starch

1 cup breadcrumbs (we used Gillian's gluten free country breadcrumbs)

3 eggs, beaten

fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes

The preparation on the arancini is best started the night before, when you'll prepare the risotto rice and the ragù.

For the risotto:
Heat a pan with tall sides, and add olive oil. Add the chopped onion, and simmer for few minutes as the onion becomes more translucent. Add the uncooked rice grains, and toast for about 2 minutes with the oil and onion. Add in the chicken broth, and let it simmer on the stove. The rice will release its starch, thickening the mixture as it boils. Stir occasionally, so that it doesn't burn on the bottom. Near the end, remove and cool a little rice to taste. The rice should just melt in your mouth - there should not be any crunchiness to it. It will likely take between 20 and 35 minutes to cook. Remove from heat and cool in the refrigerator overnight.

Fresh, authentic risotto.

For the ragù:

Simmer the pancetta (or bacon) with the onion and garlic. Add in the ground chuck in small pieces, and brown the meat on a low heat. It's important to brown the meat slowly, so that the fats it releases will be incorporated back into the other ingredients. Do not drain the meat, but it should not be particularly greasy anyway. Once all the chuck has been cooked this way, add the carrot and celery and cook for 5 more minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer for 5 minutes. Then, add the tomato paste, thyme, bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Remove from the heat and store in the fridge until the next day.

Authentic Sicilian ragù. Simple and pedestrian.

To make arancini:

Set out all the ingredients on the counter, including the cold risotto, cold ragù, the gluten free flours mixed together in a bowl, beaten eggs, breadcrumbs, and a plate of cheese cubes.

Heat up 2 quarts of oil in a heavy pan on the stove to 325 degrees. I prefer canola oil, because it has a high smoke point. Other oils will smoke and stink up your house!

For the first one, put a small amount of rice in your hand, about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons, and then use your fingers to create a tiny well in the middle. Scoop a small bit of ragù into the well, about 2 teaspoons, and add in a few cheese cubes (I added 2 cheese cubes per arancini). Since the ragù is cold, it shouldn't be losing liquid into your hand. Fold your arancini hand together, so your fingers touch, and it will form the risotto rice into a ball, enclosing the meat and cheese. The goal is to only see rice around the outside - no meat. You can patch spots with rice if you need to. If you are a beginner, it will likely contain more rice than is optimal, but that's ok. As you get better, there will be less and less rice, and more filling inside! Use both hands to press the arancini into a solid ball. Once you can hold it with only two fingers without it falling apart, roll it in the gluten free flour mix, then the beaten egg, then the breadcrumb mixture.  Drop it into the oil, and cook for 5-8 minutes until brown on the outside.

Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and rest on a paper towel. The arancini will be hot, so you must be careful not to burn your mouth. Serve immediately with cold Fanta.

Dairy free option: When adding ragù to each arancini, simply leave out the cheese cubes. Roll together and prepare according to the directions. They are just as good without cheese!



 

 

My gluten free, dairy free arancini. Hot and fresh at home.

 Oh, and what did I have for dinner the night everyone else ate arancini? I'm glad you asked. Italian sorbet and gelato!