L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 2018 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES W hen you travel around Italy you will quickly notice that, in every single region, there are culinary traditions locals are not only proud of, but also genuinely consider the best, if one was to compare them with those of the rest of Italy. Re- cipes change from one town to another, or from one house to another, and each one is the best according to whoever may give it to you or whoever is responsible for making it for the family. There is one very popular food in Italy, commonly enjoyed as de- licious street food but also made in many homes throughout the country. It is traditionally found in Rome, in the region of Lazio and then, heading south, also in Sicily. Supplì and arancino, or arancina, are related and we could actually call them cousins. There are fun- damental differences between the two but there is no denying that they are both so incredibly scrump- tious and addictive when made well. Let's discover the world of the most popular Italian fried ball of rice. Basically, when we talk about supplì or arancini, we mean a ball (or a sort of ball) of rice, enriched with ragù and deep fried. There are two main recipes: the Roman sup- plì, and the Sicilian arancino (or arancina, as I'll explain later). The history of supplì in Rome is long and mixed with the history of the city itself: the name supplì actually comes from the French word "surprise" and this is attribu- ted to the period when Rome was occupied and dominated by Na- poleon and his army. The French were "surprised" by the mozzarella cheese hidden in- side the supplì, the ingredient which characterizes it because sup- plì are basically a ball of rice cooked in ragù (a bolognese sauce, if you like), with a piece of moz- zarella hidden in the centre. They are then covered in breadcrumbs (preferably twice) and deep fried. The first and original supplì were made with the so called rigaje di pollo, which are chicken heart, lung and liver. Romans are very proud of this delicacy, and one could presume they are one of Rome's first ever "street foods." Initially supplì ven- dors would wander the streets and alleys of Rome with a pot full of oil yelling "hot supplì," or they could be found on corners frying the supplì to order. Today you can find supplì in all pizzerias in Rome, and also in many restaurants. You can find wonderful variations that often celebrate traditional Roman pasta recipes or dishes. Imagine supplì all' Amatriciana, supplì alla Carbonara or supplì with oxtail stew – the famous coda alla vacci- nara. Supplì has always remained a street food though and it is best to eat them with your hands. It should be eaten hot, so the melted mozza- rella inside stretches as you bite into it – as you pull the remaining supplì in your hand, away from your mouth, you'll experience the wonderful way the mozzarella stretches, and it is for this very rea- son that supplì are traditionally known as supplì al telefono. The stretched mozzarella resembled a telephone cord or telephone wire, and while this didn't, once upon a time, need any explanation, try ex- plaining that to our younger mobile phone generation! Going south from Rome, ap- proaching Sicily, history changes. The Sicilian fried ball of rice chan- ges shape and recipe, but is present in Sicily too as a typical street food, or a favorite recipe prepared at home. The basic arancino recipe is different from its Roman cousin. The rice is slow cooked, in chicken or vegetable broth often with the addition of saffron, hence the rice being yellow. You then prepare a meat sauce with toma- toes, the ragù. Often peas are also added. Arancini have a different shape, and are bigger than supplì. They are then covered in bread- crumbs and fried. The history of arancini in Si- cily maybe started with the Arabs in the IX century: Arabs would eat small portions of rice by making little balls with their hands and adding lamb meat. The shape was similar to a little orange and that's why they were called aran- cino (from "arancia" - orange). TONI BRANCATISANO But even if there is a classic, standard recipe, today it is com- mon to find arancini variations such as arancini prepared with tuna, swordfish, eggplant etc. A confusing aspect of arancini though is the pronunciation of their name, and it depends whether your arancini are femi- nine or masculine. In the western side of the island, it is arancina (female) while in Catania and the east coast they are arancino (ma- sculine). Also, depending on the name, the shape will change. The arancina is round, while the aran- cino is shaped in a pyramid or dome form (maybe as a homage to Etna, the volcano in Catania). Of course, both parts defend their own position, and mispro- nouncing the sex of the arancino - or arancina - can be a real drama in Palermo or Catania. Having been adopted by Rome six years ago, when I moved to Lazio from Tuscany, today I will share a traditional recipe for "Sup- plì al Telefono." Supplì al Telefono Ingredients ■ 300g arborio or carnaroli rice ■ 400g tomato pulp ■ 150g ground meat (beef or beef and pork) ■ 150g mozzarella ■ 1 small onion ■ 50g parmesan cheese (par- migiano reggiano) ■ 40g butter ■ breadcrumbs ■ 3 eggs ■ sunflower oil for frying ■ 400ml vegetable broth, boi- ling hot ■ 125ml white wine ■ 3 tablespoons olive oil ■ salt Instructions 1. Finely chop the onion and add it to a heavy based saucepan with the olive oil. Cook on a me- dium low flame until the onion is translucent. Add the ground meat, cook for a minute and then add the white wine. Raise the heat and allow the alcohol to evaporate. 2. Lower the heat, add the to- mato pulp and some salt, then al- low to cook for 30 minutes unco- vered. Stir occasionally. 3. Add the rice and stir well. Add the hot broth with the help of a soup ladle a little at a time and proceed as you would for a risotto – i.e. adding more broth once the rice has absorbed the pre- vious ladleful. 4. Turn off heat and leave the rice "al dente." Season and stir th- rough the parmesan cheese and butter. Add one egg, stir well and carefully spread the risotto onto a large baking tray. Allow to cool. 5. Cut the mozzarella into cu- bes. 6. Using slightly wet hands, shape the supplì into a football- like shape and place a cube of mozzarella into the center, hiding it well by closing any openings with the risotto. 7. Roll the supplì in bread- crumbs first and then in a bowl with 2 beaten eggs. Roll the supplì again in the breadcrumbs ensuring it is completely covered. Repeat with remaining risotto. 8. Fry the supplì in hot oil, re- move them carefully once they are golden brown all over and place them on paper towels. 9. Eat hot to enjoy the melted mozzarella in the middle. A proposito! We all know that Italians hate food waste, so if you have left-over risotto, think about using it the following day to make supplì! Rome has supplì, Sicily has arancini (or arancine, depending on whom and where you ask): rice has never tasted so good. Photo: Toni Brancatisano Arancini, arancine and supplì: what's behind a fried ball of rice?

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