Sunday Recipe Rewind: Italian Rice Balls

Sunday Recipe Rewind: Italian Rice Balls

This is a great

way to use up leftover rice. It’s very

important that you use leftover or rice that has had time to cool down. If you

do not use leftover rice the recipe will not work correctly.

I have tried to

use both fresh and older rice and the fresh rice never comes out right. There is

something about the starch and the cooled rice that helps the balls keep their

shape. If you are using warm fresh rice the balls will fall apart as they are

cooking. Believe me it’s not worth the big mess (huge mess) if you don’t have

older rice then don’t make this recipe. You will thank me for this information.

I love this

recipe! It’s fun and delicious. No one is ever expecting to find rice in the

balls. It’s also a great vegetarian appetizer or side dish if you are in need

of one. You can use brown rice but I am afraid it might be a little too course

to make the balls but it might be worth a try if you have extra brown rice.

I love to eat

these balls but not necessarily make them. They are a bit of a pain, but they

are worth the reward in the end!

• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup grated
• Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon
• dried parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 quart water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup uncooked
• white rice
• 1 1/2 cups dried
• bread crumbs (occasionally I use Italian bread crumbs)
• 2 cups olive oil

Directions:

In a medium bowl,

whisk together eggs, cheese, parsley, pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and

refrigerate.

Pour water and 1

teaspoon salt into a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in rice and

reduce heat to low. Cook rice until water is almost absorbed, stirring

frequently. Remove from heat and slowly pour in egg mixture, stirring rapidly

to prevent egg from scrambling. Allow rice mixture to cool for 1 hour. This process works best with older rice that

you have as a leftover.

Pour bread crumbs

into a pile on one end of a cutting board. Dampen hands and roll rice mixture

into 1 inch balls, then coat each one with bread crumbs.

In a small, deep

skillet, heat olive oil to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). (Should have enough

oil to completely cover rice balls.) Fry rice balls 6 at a time, turning as

needed to ensure even browning. Drain on paper towels and serve warm.

Original

Recipe Source

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