Italian Rice Balls
Serves: 6
Manley Abshire
1 January 1970
Based on User reviews:
55
Spice
52
Sweetness
50
Sourness
41
mins
Prep time (avg)
5.5
Difficulty
Ingredients:
1 tbsp
Olive Oil4 cloves
Garlic (minced)450 g
Ground Beef450 g
Ground Veal2 tbsps
Thyme (minced fresh)1 tbsp
Oregano (dried)2 tsps
Kosher Salt1 tsp
Ground Black Pepper1 tsp
Cayenne Pepper1 tsp
Red Pepper Flake1.5 cups
Tomato Sauce2 cups
Grated Parmesan5
Eggs3 tbsps
Basil (minced fresh)1 cup
Basil Leaves (fresh)1 cup
Oregano Leaves (fresh)1 cup
Thyme Leaves (fresh)Directions:
1
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and saute the garlic and onions until softened, about 2 minutes
2
Add the meat and cook until browned, breaking up large pieces as it cooks
3
Strain off excess fat from the skillet
4
Add the parsley and cook, about 3 minutes
5
Add the thyme, oregano, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, cayenne and red pepper flakes
6
Taste and add more seasoning if needed
7
Keep in mind that rice and cheese contain salt so be careful not to over salt the meat mixture
8
Let the meat mixture cool a bit
9
Add the tomato sauce
10
Combine the rice with the cheese but be careful not to mash the rice
11
Add the rice mixture to the meat mixture and stir gently to combine
12
Check the seasonings
13
Add additional salt and pepper if necessary
14
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
15
Use a small to medium ice cream scoop (number 10) to shape the balls so they are a consistent size, and then hand roll the balls as tightly as you can
16
Pour enough canola oil into a deep skillet or Dutch oven to reach 5 inches
17
Heat the oil over medium heat to 350 degrees F; use a deep-fry thermometer to check the oil temperature
18
Whisk the eggs in a small baking dish
19
Place the breadcrumbs in another baking dish
20
Roll the rice balls lightly in the eggs and then immediately roll in the breadcrumbs to form a coating
21
Shake off the excess breadcrumbs
22
Place them on the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate or freeze until you are ready to fry
23
To fry, carefully drop the rice balls into the hot oil, a few at a time, taking care not to overcrowd and lower the oil temperature
24
Cook until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes per batch
25
Bring the oil back up to 350 degrees F before cooking each batch
26
Drain the rice balls on paper towels before serving
27
Serve with Marinara Sauce for dipping
28
This recipe was created by a contestant during a cooking competition
29
The Food Network Kitchens have not tested it for home use, therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results
30
Heat the olive oil in the bottom of a large pot
31
Add the onions and cook until translucent and softened, about 5 minutes
32
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute
33
Use some of the liquid from the tomatoes to deglaze the pan, and then add the tomatoes, basil, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper
34
Use an immersion blender to puree, taking care to leave the tomatoes slightly chunky
35
(If you don't have an immersion blender, you can add everything to a blender or food processor
36
) Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to keep from burning on the bottom
37
Reduce the heat to low and cook for 1 hour or longer so that the marinara thickens as some of the liquid cooks out
38
Check seasoning prior to serving
39
Add salt as necessary
40
Garnish with the basil