Ingredients
- 1 Cup of rice. Real rice, not minute rice, btw
- 2 cloves of Garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 slices of thick cut bacon
- Fresh mozzarella
- 1/4 cup of fresh basil
- 1/4 tsp of oregano
- 2 tsp of olive oil
- 3 egg whites
- 1 Cup of Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 3 Cups of oil for frying
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Arangini.....or Rice Balls....or Werewolf balls....I'm not sure
Time: 40 minutes prep, 25 minutes cook
Servings: 12
Directions
- Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in the rice, and add the garlic, bay leaf and salt. Return to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes. This is the reason you have to use real rice instead of minute rice. You want the rice to absorb the garlic and bay leaf flavor. When it is done, take out the garlic cloves and bay leaf. Allow to cool.
- In a medium bowl, combine the bacon that you have crushed up into little pieces, mozzarella cheese, and basil. Pour 2 teaspoons of the olive oil over, and toss to coat.
- Stir 3 egg whites and the Parmesan cheese into the rice until well blended
- Heat 2 inches of oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F
- Using wet hands grab handful of rice. About the same size as your average meatball. Squeeze to make a ball. Using your thumb, make a big dent in the middle. Stick a small cube of fresh mozzarella in the hole and then reform the ball. the cheese should now be in the middle and unable to be seen
- Deep fry the rice balls a few at a time until golden brown. About a minute or so. Serve hot.
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Summary
The German Goddess and I were discussing food one day, as happens a few times a week. On day I was making something that she couldn't pronounce and she just deadpanned "Dracula's Balls?" Ummm.....Noooo, but that's what we'll call it from now on. K? Good? Tres Bein. Anyway, the ex wife and I were talking about food. She went on on on about a Mediterranean Restaurant here in Freehold, New Jersey called "Lemon's". She ordered Mediterranean Rice Balls and had me try one. There were very good. So of course, I had to try to make them. Know what? Habib makes a good rice ball, but I blew him out of the water with this version. For real....it's better....I'm serious....
