Aranciata Nuorese Recipes

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.

Steps:

• Heat the oil and butter in a saucepan until foamy. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and fry gently over a low heat for 15 mins, or until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another min. Stir in the rice and cook for a further min, then pour in the wine. Bring to the boil and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Pour in half the stock and simmer, stirring continuously, until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add the remaining stock a ladleful at a time as the rice absorbs the liquid, stirring, until the rice is cooked through (this should take about 20-25 mins). Stir in the parmesan and lemon and season to taste. Spread the risotto out into a lipped tray and leave to cool to room temperature.
• Scoop the cooled risotto into 18 equal portions - they should be slightly larger than a golf ball. Flatten a risotto ball in your hand and put a piece of the mozzarella in the centre, then enclose the cheese in the rice and roll it into a ball. Repeat with the remaining risotto balls.
• Put the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs into three separate shallow bowls. Dip each prepared risotto ball into the flour, followed by the eggs and finally, the breadcrumbs. Transfer to a tray and set aside.
• Half-fill a large, heavy-based saucepan with vegetable oil and heat over medium-low until it reads 170C on a cooking thermometer or until a piece of bread turns golden brown in the oil within 45 seconds. Lower the risotto balls into the oil in batches and cook for 8-10 mins, or until golden brown and melted in the centre. Set aside on a tray lined with a clean kitchen towel.
• Eat the arancini warm, or serve with a basic tomato sauce for dipping.

Steps:

• Using a swivel-handled peeler, shave the zest from the oranges, avoiding even the barest bits of the bitter pith.
• In a saucepan, cover the zest with cold water and blanch it for 1 minute. Drain the zest and refresh it under very cold water, setting it then to rest in a bowl of cold water, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator. Change the water once a day for five days. This long bath sweetens the zest.
• Drain and dry the zest on absorbent paper towels.
• Place the zest and the honey in a saucepan over a quiet flame, permitting the zest to drink in the honey for 40 minutes. Off the flame, add the almonds, stirring, coating them with the honey and the zest.
• Pour the mixture out onto a pastry marble or a double sheet of parchment, leaving it to cool to tepid.
• With a sharp, wet knife, cut the confection into tiny squares. Leave the finished aranciata to cool completely before storing it in tins. Alas, this artisanal version of aranciata has only a short life, giving one the responsibility to see that every last chewy bite of it be dispatched within a few days.

Steps:

• Fill three 12-ounce glasses to the top with ice. Squeeze a wedge of lime over the ice in each glass, leaving the squeezed rind in the glass. Shake a generous dash of bitters over the ice. Pour 1 1/2 ounces of rum into each glass. Fill each glass to the top with the Aranciata and stir vigorously. Garnish with an additional wedge of lime and serve.