ARANCINI RECIPE from Joe Greco

PREPARE RICE
- In large pot, boil 1 gallon of water
- Add 2 lbs of rice
- Add 1 packet of saffron (1/220 oz packet)
-- turns rice yellow. A second packet will turn it even more yellow.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of salt
- Add 2 cubes of chicken bouillon
- Boil until water is absorbed into the rice; stir frequently when it starts to get thick - Pour into a lasagne-type pan and let cool
-- If made the day before, place a wet towel over the pan and put in frig to keep rice moist
PREPARE SAUCE
- In medium pot, cook 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil + 1/2 onion finely diced until boiling - Add i pound of ground beef (lean) and cook until brown
- Add 2 small cans of tomato paste - Add 2 tomato paste cans of water - Add a little salt and pepper
- Add a box of frozen petite peas (9 oz) - Cook 5-10 minutes medium-hi
- Cool
- Add salami, provolone cheese, cold cuts (ham) -- cut up fine - Add 2 handfulls of diced mozzarella cheese
- Mix well
MAKE ARANCINI
- Fill deep fat fryer with about 3 inches of oil (vegetable and/or olive oil)
-- enough to cover the arancinis
- Set out 1 large bowl of water, rice, sauce, bowl of wisked eggs, and pan of bread crumbs -- Eggs: have enough eggs to wet arancini; start with about 5 eggs
-- Bread crumbs: 1-2 inches in a lasagne-type pan
-- Water: enough in a bowl to dip hands
- Wet hands
- Pick up handful of rice and shape into a ball (tennis ball or baseball size)
- Use thumb to make a cavity in the rice ball
- Grab a large pinch of sauce and put in cavity
- Reform the rice ball ensuring the sauce is covered up and only rice appears on the outside - Dip rice ball in eggs
- Cover in bread crumbs
- When oil is hot (fryer temp light goes out at around 400 degrees), drop arancini into fryer - Cook each arancini until light brown
-- Add enough arancinis to the fryer to cover the bottom, but do not stack them - When done, remove carefully and place on paper towels and allow to cool