Arancini with sugo and sausage

ingredients

• Sugo with sausage

  • 3 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 1 stalk celery, finely diced
  • 4 good-quality sausages (this recipe used Salumeria Fontana), removed from casing and divided into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 2 bayleaves
  • splash red wine
  • 2 x 400g cans Italian tomatoes, puréed
  • 1 cup frozen peas, defrosted

• Rice

  • 420 gram medium grain rice
  • 70 gram pecorino cheese, grated

• Pastella

  • 200 gram plain flour
  • 1 free-range egg

• To assemble

  • 1 hard-boiled free-range egg, cut into 6 even pieces
  • 100 gram mozzarella, grated
  • 150 gram breadcrumbs
  • vegetable oil, for deep frying
  • small bunch rocket, dressed with olive oil, to garnish

method

• • 1

    Pour oil into a medium saucepan and sauté onion and celery on medium heat for a couple of minutes. Add the sausage and fry until browned. Add fennel seeds, fry for 30 seconds then add bayleaves and wine. Stir to release all food on the bottom of the pot and simmer until wine is absorbed.

  • 2

    Add tomatoes, season and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Add the peas, stir and season to taste. Using a slotted spoon, pull out the sausage pieces along with the peas and place in a separate bowl.

  • 3

    Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Pour in the rice and stir for about 1 minute, ensuring rice does not stick to the bottom. Cook until al dente (about 20 minutes). Once cooked, drain rice into a large sieve and, using a wooden spoon, lift the rice to help it drain for about 1 minute. Let it sit for about 3-4 minutes then tip into a large bowl.

  • 4

    While rice is still hot, pour in sauce (the sugo), reserving 2 cups for serving. Add the grated pecorino and carefully stir to evenly combine.

  • 5

    For the pastella, beat together the flour, egg and enough water to make a medium-thick pancake-like consistency in a large bowl.

  • 6

    To assemble and cook, prepare an assembly line with hard-boiled egg, mozzarella, sausage pieces and the peas. Place breadcrumbs in a bowl or on a large plate.

  • 7

    When cool enough to handle, but not cold, start rolling and compressing two balls of rice 5-6cm in diameter.

  • 8

    Place the first ball of rice into the palm of your hand and flatten, create a small indentation in the middle. Place in some grated mozzarella, a slice of egg and 2 Tbsp of sausage-and-pea mix (about 5-6 pieces of sausage).

  • 9

    Pick up the second rice ball in your other hand. Flatten with your thumb and the back of your other hand to flatten. Place this rice on top of the filled rice to cover all the stuffing and seal, compressing and turning it to form the conical shape (or a ball, if you prefer). Using both hands, press all around to shape it and completely seal the filling. Place on a tray and repeat with remaining ingredients to create six arancini.

  • 10

    Once completed, place 1 arancino into the pastella. Coat completely and lift out with a fork, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Dip into breadcrumbs and turn to coat completely, using both hands to press breadcrumbs onto arancino. Repeat with remaining arancini.

  • 11

    Place oil in a small, deep saucepan, leaving enough space at the top so oil won’t overflow when you add an arancino.

  • 12

    Heat oil until hot. To check readiness, drop in a grain of rice; when it rises to the top, the oil is ready. Cook one arancino at a time until golden brown.

  • 13

    Remove and drain on paper towels. Once cooled, refrigerate in a sealed container. The arancini can be prepared up to 1 day in advance. To serve, heat oven to 180°C and heat them for approximately 10-15 minutes or until warm enough so that the mozzarella is nice and stretchy. Serve topped with warmed, reserved sugo and some rocket on the side.