Crispy + Creamy = Arancini

I first discovered arancini last year when we visited Boston (and basically ate our way through the North End). I was immediately in love (with Boston, yes, but with arancini in particular). In fact, I even ranked them #6 on my list of all-time best vacation foods!

I had never heard of arancini before I found them in Boston, and little did I know that my life was not complete. They are fried rice balls filled with ragu and they originated in Sicily. Their name comes from their shape and color ... arancia means orange in Italian. They are absolutely delicious and I might even say they're my favorite Italian food. They're crispy, creamy and saucy all at once!

Arancini were in my recipe wishlist, and given the complex and time-consuming nature of preparing both the risotto and ragu required for them, I knew they'd be a weekend project. Start to finish, dinner took me about two and a half hours to cook tonight (during the down time I was even able to squeeze in a batch of red velvet cookies!). But it was so worth it!

Sicilian Style Arancini
Ingredients:
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup Arborio rice
1/4 dry white wine
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup bolognese sauce (recipe follows)
Vegetable oil for frying
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup dry Italian bread crumbs

Directions:
To make the risotto, in a saucepan bring broth to a simmer. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until transparent, about 4 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, until rice is opaque and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the white wine and cook, stirring until absorbed. While continually stirring with a wooden spoon, begin adding the broth in 1/2-cup increments, allowing the liquid to become completely absorbed by the rice between additions. Cook until the rice is just tender and the risotto is creamy, about 20 minutes. Add the grated cheese, heavy cream, salt and pepper and stir to combine well. Transfer to a mixing bowl and refrigerate until chilled.

When ready to make the arancini, remove the chilled risotto from the refrigerator. Using a small scoop, divide the risotto in about 3-tablespoon sized portions. Form the portions into balls using your hands.

Press a hole into each risotto ball and stuff the center with a heaping teaspoon of the bolognese sauce. Press the opening closed and roll the ball between your hands until it is smooth. Set aside while you prepare the other arancini. Refrigerate 20 minutes to allow balls to set up before coating and drying.

In a large saucepan, heat 2 inches of oil to 360 degrees. Place the flour, egg, and bread crumbs in 3 separate bowls. One by one, lightly dredge each risotto ball in flour, then egg, then bread crumbs, so that each ball is completely coated.

Fry the balls in batches, a few at a time, turning once during cooking so that they are evenly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain briefly before serving. Serve hot on top of remaining bolognese with a sprinkle of parmesan.

Bolognese Sauce
Ingredients:
2 slices bacon, diced
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, chopped
1/3 cup celery, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
1 tablespoon white wine
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/4 cup tomato paste
3/4 cup beef broth
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon frozen peas
1 cup tomato sauce

Directions:
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, cook bacon until it is crisp and has released almost all of its fat, about 6 minutes. Add the onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are very soft and lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add the ground beef and ground pork and cook, stirring to break up any clumps, until the meat is browned, about 5 minutes. Drain fat from pan. Add the wine, garlic, and tomato paste and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the beef broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, 10 to 15 minutes.

Combine the milk and cream in a cup. After the sauce has simmered for 15 minutes, add the milk-cream mixture at even intervals over 20 minutes. At the end of 20 minutes, the milk mixture should be completely incorporated and the sauce should be thick and creamy. Add frozen peas. Remove 1/4 cup sauce for the arancini and place in a small bowl. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Stir in tomato sauce and simmer until ready to serve.


As I told Bill after dinner, it's a good thing these were such a success because I would have been pissed off if the dinner that took me almost 3 hours to cook had been bad! Bill even said they were better than the arancini at Glorioso's, the Italian market on Brady Street. I haven't had Glorioso's arancini so I can't compare, but I can say that I came pretty close to replicating the deliciousness we had in Boston :)

English Muffin-ish

If you saw my posts on Facebook and Twitter this weekend, you know that I set out to make English Muffins on Saturday. And no, it was not the royal wedding that compelled me to do it. English muffins are on my recipe wishlist, and I've been wanting to try them for quite some time.

As usual, I didn't do my homework before I embarked on this project. So I had no idea what to expect and I had no other recipes to which I could compare the one I chose. I simply spotted it in my Cooking Light cookbook and said "Let's do it!"

Had I done my homework, however, I would have achieved more successful results. It's not that my English muffins weren't good. They were fine. But they were missing an integral element ... they were missing what makes an English muffin an English muffin ... they were missing the nooks and crannies!

Since my foray into English muffin-making, I've done a lot of research. I've learned that Thomas' nooks and crannies are extremely proprietary. I've learned that Alton Brown has a recipe that a lot of bloggers think is perfect. I've learned that the wetter the dough, the airier your muffins. And most importantly, I think, I've learned that griddling is an important step in the process.

Now I vaguely recall seeing a bit about English muffins on an episode of "The Best Thing I Ever Ate." And I remember those muffins being griddled. Why that didn't occur to me when my recipe called for just baking, I don't know. But I wish it had, because I would have looked further than just one book before I set foot in the kitchen.

So my quest for perfect English muffins will continue, but in the meantime, here's my passable recipe:

English Muffins
Ingredients:
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 package dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3 1/2 cups flour
1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions:
Cook milk in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat to 180 degrees or until tiny bubbles form around edges (do not boil). Remove from heat. Pour milk into a large bowl. Stir in oil, sugar, and salt. Cool mixture to about 90 degrees.

Dissolve yeast in warm water (100 to 110 degrees); let stand 5 minutes. Add yeast mixture, 3 cups flour, and egg to milk mixture, stirring well. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent the dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel sticky). Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 45 minutes or until dough doubles in size.

Punch dough down, and divide in half. Working with one portion at a time, roll each portion to 1/4-inch thickness. Let dough rest about 5 minutes. Cut with a 4-inch biscuit cutter into 8 muffins. Place muffins on a large baking sheet. Repeat procedure with the remaining dough. Cover and let ride 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 7 minutes. Turn muffins over, and bake an additional 7 minutes or until light and fluffy.

Roast Remakes: Pork Fried Rice & Pork Empanadas

So like I said yesterday, I have a lot of leftovers from our slow-roasted pork. Luckily, the possibilities for using them up are endless .. and delicious!

Yesterday's dinner was pork fried rice and today's was pork empanadas. Both were amazing .. so amazing that I'm not even sure I could pick which I liked better. The fried rice recipe was one of the recipes to follow the original in the "One Great Roast, Three Great Meals" chapter in Cooking for Two 2011. The empanadas were in the same chapter, following a slightly different recipe, in the 2010 edition.

I modified both recipes a bit (the empanadas more so than the rice), but at least used the books as guidelines. I suppose you could say I got a bit brave with the rice, swapping out a few ingredients and incorporating a couple different techniques (the steaming of the broccolini, for example). Luckily, my changes worked well - because this rice was SO much better than take-out! I changed the flavor profile of the empanadas by omitting called-for raisins and green olives (which would never fly with Bill), and kicking up the heat with a chipotle chili. I also made a yummy pineapple salsa (my very own recipe!) to accompany it, which cooled it down just enough!

Pork Fried Rice
Ingredients:
3 teaspoons vegetable oil
3/4 cup long-grain white rice
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bunch broccolini, stems trimmed, chopped fine
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
4 oz. white mushrooms, chopped
1 shallot, sliced thin
3 scallions, white parts minced, green parts sliced thin
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups cooked pork, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Directions:
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Stir in rice and cook until edges of grains begin to turn translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in water and salt, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until all liquid is absorbed, 16 to 18 minutes.

Off heat, uncover saucepan, add broccolini to pan, and place clean kitchen towel folded in half over pan, then replace lid. Let rice and broccolini stand for 10 minutes (the steam will cook the broccolini).

Heat non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add egg and cook, without stirring, until just beginning to set, about 20 seconds, then scramble until egg is cooked through but not browned, about 1 minute longer. Transfer egg to small bowl.

Combine soy sauce and hot sauce in a small bowl. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Stir in mushrooms and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in scallion whites, shallot, ginger, garlic, and sugar and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in pork and soy sauce mixture and continue to cook until rice is coated in sauce and pork is warmed through, 2 to 4 minutes longer.

Off heat, stir in scallion greens and scrambled egg, season with additional soy sauce to taste, and serve.

Pork Empanadas with Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 chipotle chili in adobo, minced
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
10 oz. cooked pork, chopped fine
Salt and pepper
1 recipe Empanada Dough (recipe follows)
1 egg, lightly beaten
Pineapple salsa (recipe follows)

Directions:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Melt butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme, chili powder, and chipotle chili, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth and cheese and cook until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Off the heat, stir in pork and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll each out into a 10-inch round, about 3/8-inch thick, on a lightly floured surface and cut each in half. Spread 1/2 cup filling over half of each piece of dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border along the edge. Gently press the filling to compact it, then brush the edge of the dough with water. Fold the other half of the dough over the filling, press the edges to seal, and crimp with a fork.

Transfer the empanadas to the prepared baking sheet. Brush with egg and bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Empanada Dough
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, chilled, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup ice water

Directions:
Process flour, sugar, and salt together in a food processor until combined. Scatter the butter over the top and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the water over the flour mixture and stir it in with a stiff rubber spatula. Stir in remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pressing the dough against the side of the bowl until it sticks together.

Turn the dough out onto a clean, floured surface. Divide the dough into 2 pieces. Shape each one into a ball and flatten into a 5-inch disk; wrap each piece with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Before rolling out the dough, let sit on the counter to soften slightly, about 10 minutes.

Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients:
1/2 of a fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and chopped fine
1/4 of a red onion, minced
1/2 of a jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, minced
1 galic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
Salt
Juice plus zest of 1/2 lime

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in small bowl. Toss. Chill until ready to serve.