Rice Timbale Like Baked Arancini Recipes

RICE TIMBALE (LIKE BAKED ARANCINI)

Steps:

• Oil a 5-pint casserole dish (such as a Corningware souffle dish) 8-10 inches in diameter and coat lightly with dry breadcrumbs. This will serve as your timbale mold. Put aside.
• For the meatballs, combine the beef, soft breadcrumbs, 2 1/2 tablespoons parmesan, parsley, 1 egg, salt and pepper in a bowl (add a minced clove of garlic, if desired). Mix thoroughly to achieve a medium-soft consistency. Add a second egg if the mixture is too dry.
• Form meatballs the size of a large cherry and fry in 2 tablespoons of oil until lightly brown (alternatively, bake in the oven at 350°F for 15 minutes).
• Simmer 1 1/4 cups of the sauce in a pot, drop in the meatballs, and simmer for 15 minutes. Set aside.
• For the pea filling, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a pan and add the bacon, the peas, a pinch of salt, and 1/4 cup water. Simmer for 15 minutes.
• Add the sausage meat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until the sausage changes color.
• Stir in the chicken livers and the wine. Simmer for 5 minutes. Taste for salt and set aside.
• For the rice mixture and assembly, preheat the oven to 375°F Bring the beef stock and 1/2 cup of the spaghetti sauce to a boil in an ovenproof casserole, stir in the rice, cover and bake for 10 minutes.
• When it comes out of the oven the rice will be underdone and very moist. Stir in 3/4 cup parmesan, 2 well-beaten eggs, and some freshly-ground pepper. Mix thoroughly.
• Spoon 3/4 of the rice mixture into the prepared timbale mold, pressing firmly against the sides and bottom, leaving a hollow in the center.
• Cover the bottom of the hollow with half the mozzarella, then half the ham. Add the pea mixture, then the meatballs with their sauce, the mushrooms (here you could use sauteed cultivated mushrooms; it is more authentically Italian to use dried porcini mushrooms), and finally the remaining mozzarella and ham.
• Cover with the remaining rice, sprinkle the top with dry breadcrumbs and dot with butter.
• Bake in the oven at 375°F for one hour or until a golden crust forms. Remove from oven and let settle for 10 minutes, then unmold on a serving platter. Serve immediately.

ARANCINI (ITALIAN RICE BALLS)

Steps:

• In large saucepan, combine rice, broth, and butter or margarine. Bring to a boil, stir to blend. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool. Stir in egg yolks and parmesan.
• In small bowl, beat egg whites until frothy; set aside.
• Cover and freeze rice mixture for 15 minutes to make them firmer to handle; roll them with your hands to form balls. Push a small cube of mozzarella into center of each arancini, lightly pressing to seal each ball. Roll each arancini in beaten egg whites, then coat with bread crumbs.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees (about 200 degrees Celsius). Heat oil in heavy skillet. Cook 8 rice balls at a time, about 4-5 minutes, turning frequently, to brown evenly. Place on baking sheet; bake for 10 minutes.
• Serve with your favorite spaghetti sauce, to which you have added 3/4 cup to 1 cup of frozen green peas, uncooked.

ARANCINI

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring until onion is soft but not browned. Pour in the rice, and cook stirring for 2 minutes, then stir in the wine, and continue cooking and stirring until the liquid has evaporated. Add hot chicken stock to the rice 1/3 cup at a time, stirring and cooking until the liquid has evaporated before adding more.
• When the chicken stock has all been added, and the liquid has evaporated, stir in the peas and ham. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat, and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Transfer the risotto to a bowl, and allow to cool slightly.
• Stir the beaten egg into the risotto. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining egg and milk with a fork. For each ball, roll 2 tablespoons of the risotto into a ball. Press a piece of the mozzarella cheese into the center, and roll to enclose. Coat lightly with flour, dip into the milk mixture, then roll in bread crumbs to coat.
• Heat oil for frying in a deep-fryer or large deep saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Fry the balls in small batches until evenly golden, turning as needed. Drain on paper towels. Keep warm in a low oven while the rest are frying.

ARANCINI II

Steps:

• Combine water and rice in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until tender. Set aside to cool completely.
• Place ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring to crumble until evenly browned. Drain excess grease, then stir in the tomato paste and water. Set aside to cool. When cool, stir in mozzarella cheese.
• In a medium bowl, stir together 2 eggs, Romano cheese, salt, pepper, and 1 cup of the bread crumbs. Stir into the cooled rice until well blended.
• Place about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the rice mixture into the palm of your hand. Make a well in the center, and place a heaping tablespoon of the beef mixture into it. Mold rice around the filling into the shape of an egg. Dip in beaten egg, then roll in remaining bread crumbs until well coated. Repeat with remaining rice and filling.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Carefully place the rice balls into the hot oil, a few at a time, and fry until golden brown on all sides, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, and set on paper towels to drain. Serve hot with marinara sauce for dipping.