Cheesy Sausage Arancini
Italian-inspired fried rice balls stuffed with cheese and sausage
Equipment
- 1 rice cooker
Ingredients
Riceball
- 1 cup uncooked glutinous short grain rice
- 1 cup water
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated
- 1/2 tsp salt
Filling
- 1 Italian sausage casings removed
- 1/4 onion diced
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup crushed tomato
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch red pepper flake
- 8 cubes mozzarella cheese cut into 1-inch cubes
Instructions
Rice
- Cook white rice in a rice cooker. Then allow to cool to room temperature.
- Then add in egg, breadcrumbs, salt, and Parmigiano cheese. Mix thoroughly.
- Divide into 8 even portions/balls and set aside.
Filling
- Heat a pan on high heat. Remove casing from 1 Italian sausage, and crumble into the pan.Add in diced onion and saute. Brown for 5 minutes, breaking sausage into small pieces as you cook.
- When onions become softened, add in tomato paste, saute for a minute. Then add in crushed tomato, salt, and red pepper flake. Saute another 5 minutes to reduce.
- Allow filling mixture to cool completely.
Assembly
- Flatten each rice ball into a thin disk. About 1/4 inch thick. Allow the center to be slightly thicker. Add in 2 tsp of sausage filling and 1 cube of cheese. Then close the rice up into a ball again, making sure to seal the closure well. Gently use your hands to re-shape it into an even ball. Continue until you have 8 balls.
- Then roll each ball into a plate of bread crumbs, making sure to press the bread crumbs onto the surfaces.
- Fry in 350 degree oil for about 7-10 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. If oil does not cover the arancini completely, flip in oil halfway to achieve even browning.
- Remove arancini from oil and serve with pesto vinaigrette. See pesto recipe and add 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp white vinegar.