Frittelle di Riso, or rice fritters, are a winter tradition in much of Italy, and (In Florence) especially popular on San Giuseppe, Saint Joseph's (March 19). I transcribed this rice fritter recipe while watching wife Elisabetta make them. Though they are quite simple they're also quite good. You'll need:
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cups (350 g) rice -- cheap rice that gives off starch as it cooks will be fine
- 1 quart (1 l) whole milk
- The grated zest of a lemon
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- A walnut-sized chunk of unsalted butter
- 3 eggs, separated
- 1 jigger rum or vinsanto
- 1 cup (100 g) flour
- 1 packet active live yeast
- Oil for frying
Preparation:
Begin by cooking the rice until it's thoroughly cooked in the milk, together with the sugar, lemon zest, and butter. Let the mixture cool, and stir in the three yolks. Stir in the rum or vinsanto. Whip the whites and fold them in, then fold in the flour and the yeast.
Heat oil in a fairly deep pot and fry the mixture, a teaspoon at a time, removing the balls from the pot when they become golden. Drain them on absorbent paper, dust them with granulated sugar, and serve.
Yield: Fewer servings of Rice Fritters than you might think, because people always want more.
Heat oil in a fairly deep pot and fry the mixture, a teaspoon at a time, removing the balls from the pot when they become golden. Drain them on absorbent paper, dust them with granulated sugar, and serve.
Yield: Fewer servings of Rice Fritters than you might think, because people always want more.
