Rice Balls
This is going to be easy. This is a must for Christmas Eve. My mother-in-law Frances made these every year for the family dinner and no one could eat just one. You can make these ahead of time, as I do, freeze them, and just before frying coat with bread crumbs again.
Ingredients
Rice Balls
- 1 lb bag of rice Use Arboriorice, sticky rice for sushi or short grain rice – hard to find
- 5 cups water
- 2 beaten eggs
- 2 tbs butter
- 1 cup grated Pecorino cheese or more to taste
- salt
- cubed mozzarella cheese
Breading
- 1 can 16 oz breadcrumbs
- eggs
- flour
- oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Rinse rice in a strainer, put in a large pot and add 4 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil and cover, lower heat to simmer and boil for about 20 minutes. Rice will be soft and stick together (you want that, not fluffy). There should be no water left.
- Cut butter to 3 T add to hot rice.
- Let mixture cool, add egg yolks and cheese.
- Mixture should be very creamy. Taste after adding cheese.
- When cool, roll into balls, slightly larger than a golf ball. Place on waxed paper.
Breading
- In three pie pans put; 1 cup of flour in one, 3 large eggs mixed with 1/4 cup water until foamy and in the third dry breadcrumbs.
- Keep one hand clean and with the other roll balls first in flour, then in egg whites and finally in bread crumbs.
- This should make about 25-30 balls.
- I freeze them at this point. When ready, defrost completely and reroll in breadcrumbs.
- Deep fry 2-3 at a time for about 3-4 minutes at 360°. (peanut oil is best) Jay's the "master cooker"! Make sure to use a thermometer. You can't guess the temp!
- They should be golden brown on the outside andsoft and creamy on the inside.
Notes
If you don’t make anything else in this book, please try these. Make them with a friend, one can roll the other dip. Isn’t that right Tom? While you’re at it make a few artichokes too.
Update: Last year I made 3 lbs of rice. You should get about 20-25 per pound of rice. Don’t be afraid of salt.
You can also use plain bread crumbs mixed with cheese.
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