How to make Arancini

Hilary thanks Sicily for giving the world these crispy golden balls with glorious gooey centres

I will never forget my very first arancini. They were delivered by a grumpy Italian waiter who banged the plate down on the table. We'd hastily selected the first item on the menu, which seemed like a safe place to start. After ordering, we looked up the word in an Italian phrasebook and discovered we'd ordered "little oranges". Surely not?

Arancini are named after the Italian word for orange because of their colour and shape (they were first made with saffron, an example of the many Arabic influences evident in Sicilian cooking). The original Sicilian arancini are delicious balls of risotto rice flavoured with parmesan cheese, coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried. The surprise is tucked into the middle, where you will traditionally bite into softened mozzarella cheese, but they can also contain ragú (meat sauce), mushrooms, aubergine or peas.

In Rome, these delicacies are known as suppli, which comes from "suppli al telefono" (telephone wires) because of the long strings of mozzarella that stretch from the ball to your mouth when you bite it. Roman suppli tend to be larger and less regularly shaped than Sicilian arancini, and traditionally contain only cheese or tomato flavoured risotto. In Naples, they are known as palle di riso (rice balls) or palline di riso (little rice balls).

Leftover risotto, if there is any, can be crafted into very good arancini. Eat them immediately as a snack or as a light meal with a chunky Italian tomato sauce.

Makes 12

Ingredients:

• 400g (2 cups) arborio rice
• 500ml (2 cups) chicken stock
• 250ml (1 cup) parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 4 extra-large eggs
• 5ml (1 tsp) dried oregano
• Salt and black pepper
• 120g mozzarella cheese, cut into 1.5cm cubes
• 60g (½ cup) cake flour
• 240g (2 cups) dried breadcrumbs
• Oil, for deep-frying

Method:

Wash the rice 3 to 4 times under cold running water, until the water runs clear. Place in a pan with the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the liquid has cooked away. Set aside with the lid on for 10 minutes.

Stir the parmesan through the rice and allow to cool. Lightly beat 2 of the eggs and stir through the rice with the oregano, salt and pepper.

Use wet hands to shape the rice mixture into 12 balls. Press a mozzarella cube into the centre of each ball and smooth the rice over to cover.

Place the remaining eggs in a bowl and beat lightly. Place the flour and breadcrumbs in separate bowls. Dip each rice ball into the flour, then the egg and then the breadcrumbs.

Deep-fry in hot oil for 4 to 5 minutes, turning until golden brown. Drain and serve immediately.