Arancini (Rice Balls)

RASS BAWLS

It’s amazing how certain similarities between two markedly disparate cultures can reveal such an impressive sense of unity. This lesson — how our relationship with food is universal — is one I still find myself relearning every time I feel the inspiration to cook.

Garlic is universally loved by all of the cool kids, universe-wide.

As I’ve mentioned in the past, I am a firm believer in food’s ability to break down cultural barriers because food is one of the few aspects of a people’s culture that can be readily shared without any need for explanation. Foreign food goes into our mouths for the first time, we taste it, we share our reactions, and, if the smile is genuine, a connection is made.

"You also like pork sausage (pause)? That practically makes us brothers!"

But sometimes the explanations and stories behind the dishes can further uncover the countenance of our bonds.

Basil, whether sweet, lemon, Thai, or holy, is a flavorful herb many Italians and Vietnamese can easily identify with. Also, basil is highly toxic to mosquitoes and thus doubles as a super insect repellent. Go forth, eat lots of pho, bathe in pesto, and be itch-free.

Take arancini for example. It’s a Sicilian dish consisting of a ball of rice that is stuffed with meat and vegetables, breaded, and then [usually] deep fried until golden brown (or orange, perhaps). The root of the word is arancia, which means ‘orange‘ in Italian. Sicily is in the southern half of Italy.

All peoples have some form of pungent/aged/fermented food product that they love. When Parmesan (AKA imitation Parmigiano-Reggiano) and I first met, we hit it off beautifully. Even though she was a total poser.

Now, if your roots are set in Southern Vietnam, as mine are, and/or you happen to know your food, then you may recognize that we have a similar dish, with the list of commonalities counting up to the names themselves. I’m talking about Bánh Cam M?n*. It’s also a ball made out of [glutinous] rice [flour] that is stuffed with meats and vegetables, and then deep fried until golden brown (or orange, perhaps). The word Cam means orange, a nod to its resemblance to the fruit.

Here's Banh Cam Man, a Vietnamese arancine of sorts. FYI, I stole this picture from some website that my AV warned was loaded with spyware, so I decided against crediting the photographer in case anyone actually clicked on the link.

The fact that they’re made with virtually the same ingredients, prepared in the same manner, and even named after the same fruit/color is smile-fodder for my soul.

Though aspiring to be an Italian dish, this mix carries a lot of the flavor profiles familiar to Southern Vietnamese cuisine: cured pork (mmm nitrites), basil, fennel (a lot like anise), garlic, and some kind of pungent ingredient full of glutamates/umami (in this case, the analog for Parmesan is our fish sauce)

Slightly overcooked rice. Mixed with a good, tomato-based pasta sauce. Laced with s&p, and more Parmesan.

Laid out a circle, made a dimple in the middle, filled it with mozzarella and the hot-sausage/basil mixture. Covered it up with another patty of rice and shaped them into balls.

We aimed for 8 but didn't quite portion the rice out correctly... Oops. These went into the fridge to firm up while we caught an episode of Worst Cooks in America. Omelets... who knew they could pose a challenge?

Homemade dry breadcrumbs. A quarter of an Italian loaf went in the toaster oven until it was dry. Then we ran it through a blender and a sieve.

Dipped the balls in an egg wash and then tossed them around in the sandbox.

Lined them up for the oven. We baked them because we wanted to be a little healthier.

But not before a little drizzle of olive oil. In hindsight, it should have been sprayed on instead.

25 minutes later, slightly browner but not quite as dark and crispy as I would have liked. Unfortunately, one started to weep cheese.

Un-expertly adorned with a dollop of microwaved Prego. Prego lei.

Okay, so the rice was more than slightly overcooked. It still tasted lovely. Next time, however, I may try this with a cooled risotto instead.

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Arancini (Rice Balls)

2 cups rice

3.5 to 4 cups water (depending on type of rice and desired texture)

1 cup tomato-based sauce (marinara or pasta sauce)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 lb ground meat (I used 4 links of Premio Hot Italian Sausage)

1/2 cup basil

1/4 cup frozen peas (optional)

salt & pepper to taste

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided in half

4 to 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4″ thick slices (you can use shredded as well)

2 eggs, beaten with a teaspoon of milk or water

1 cup dry breadcrumbs

1) Wash rice and dump into a pot. Pour enough water to cover about an inch above the rice or up to the first knuckle of your index finger (a little under 4 cups). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Fluff gently, and leave uncovered until it is cool enough to handle.

2) While the rice is cooling, start making the meat filling. Fry garlic until soft. Break up meat in pan. Poor off excess grease. When mixture has cooled adequately, stir in basil, half of the grated Parmesan, and peas.

3) When rice is cool enough to handle,  gently stir in pasta sauce and the other half of the grated Parmesan to rice. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper accordingly.

4) Line a baking sheet. Lay out about 3 tablespoons of rice onto a flat surface lined with a smooth, sacrificial barrier (tin foil, parchment paper, plastic wrap, what have you). Alternatively, you can wear gloves and just use your hands. Create a dimple in the middle of the rice and fill with cheese and meat. Cover with more rice and form into desired shape. Arrange on baking sheet. Repeat until rice is used up.

5)  Refrigerate balls for 30 minutes. When cooled and firm, take them out and dip them in the egg wash and coat in breadcrumbs. Arrange on unlined baking sheet. Drizzle/spray with oil.

6) Preheat oven to 350F. Bake rice balls for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and delicious. You can bake them on the top rack to promote darker browning. Serve with warmed sauce.

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*Banh Cam Man, literally translates as Cake Orange Salty.  ’Cake’ is a loose translation since the Vietnamese word Banh is actually an umbrella term used to refer to most pastries, breads, cakes, cookies, sandwiches (i.e. banh mi), and certain kinds of noodles, and is also a homonym for ‘wheel’.

The word man is commonly used to denote the dish as non-vegan. This doesn’t mean that all salty foods are non-vegan and that all non-vegan foods are salty. It’s a labeling convention that I don’t completely understand but that’s how it is. Banh Cam without the adjective Man is generally understood as a meatless dish.