Sicilian Arancini with Peak-Harvest Tomato Ragu, Smoked Mozzarella and Basil

Toast the rice in a wide pot with the butter over medium heat for 2 minutes, then add the hot broth one ladle at a time, stirring, adding more only when the previous addition is absorbed. Stir the saffron in with the third ladle.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth, kept hot
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup thick tomato ragu, cooled (from 4 ripe farmers-market tomatoes, slow-cooked with onion)
• 4 ounces smoked mozzarella (scamorza), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups fine dried breadcrumbs
• Neutral oil, for frying (about 6 cups)
• Flaky sea salt

Instructions

1. Toast the rice in a wide pot with the butter over medium heat for 2 minutes, then add the hot broth one ladle at a time, stirring, adding more only when the previous addition is absorbed. Stir the saffron in with the third ladle.
2. After about 18 minutes the rice should be tender and thick. Stir in the Parmigiano, spread the risotto on a sheet pan, and chill it completely — at least 3 hours, ideally overnight. Warm risotto will not hold a shape, and this is where most home arancini fail.
3. Beat the eggs into the cold rice until it is sticky and cohesive.
4. Wet your hands with cold water. Scoop about 1/3 cup of rice into your palm and flatten it into a disc. Press a small hollow in the center and fill it with a teaspoon of the cooled ragu, a cube of smoked mozzarella and a torn basil leaf.
5. Close the rice over the filling and roll firmly between wet palms into a smooth ball or the traditional Sicilian cone. Any crack will leak molten cheese into the oil, so seal seams carefully. Repeat to make about 14.
6. Set up three shallow bowls with the flour, remaining beaten egg if needed, and breadcrumbs. Roll each ball in flour, then egg, then press it firmly into the breadcrumbs until fully coated.
7. Heat 3 inches of oil to 350°F. Fry 3 or 4 arancini at a time for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until deep golden brown and crisp all over. Frying more at once drops the temperature and gives you greasy shells.
8. Drain on a wire rack, season with flaky salt, and rest for 3 minutes before serving — the centers are molten and will scald straight from the pot.
9. Arancini take their name from arancia, orange, for the color and shape of the classic Sicilian version. They date to Arab rule in Sicily, when saffron and rice both entered the island's kitchens, and they were built as portable food that carried a complete meal inside a crisp shell. Palermo shapes them round and Catania shapes them into cones, a rivalry Sicilians take more seriously than any outsider expects. Making the risotto a day ahead is not a shortcut but a requirement, and a slow-cooked ragu from late-summer tomatoes at their sweetest gives a filling that no tinned tomato can match.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 438 kcal
• Protein: 16g
• Fat: 21g
• Carbohydrates: 46g
• Fiber: 3g
• Sugar: 5g
• Sodium: 690mg