Each year, with trepidation, I wait for this date: March 19th, Father’s Day, here in Italy.
Can not wait to prepare these delicious rice fritters (Frittelle di Riso here in Italy) which my grandmother taught me many many years ago and, in color, shape, and flavor, I have never betrayed by them. They’re a wholly Tuscan delicacy, tasting them is tasting one piece of this beautiful land where I live.
Everyone in the family begins to ask me about rice fritters for a week before, to be sure, this year too, they’ll enjoy these unforgettable old sweets, so typical in Cucina Povera (a few and simple ingredients kinds of cooking). And they are right, because the rice fritters, in my house, are like the popular and always successful Santa Claus Cookies “Befanini”: they’ll be prepared just once a year!
Well, Father’s Day is one of these best occasions to prepare something delicious and full of love.
That’s why they deserve all the waiting and attention atmosphere we give them during these days.
They’re a “snack”, which can be enjoyed peacefully in the middle of the afternoon and every time I taste them, I remind the village feasts here in Tuscany.
He also explained the most important procedure for this dish: the mixture once ready to be fried, must be picked up with a teaspoon (well-filled) and then, with the help of a tablespoon, pushing the contents from the spoon into the hot oil.
In this way, in fact, you’ll get that irregular form, almost a “flower”, typical of rice fritters; once thrown in hot oil, they’ll be darker at the extremities making more crispy the few external grains of rice and they will remain “buttery” and creamy inside.
Father’s day Rice Fritters (Frittelle di Riso)
Prep time: 20 minutes to cook the rice, 1 hour to cool it
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1,40 h
Ingredients
- 10 oz, 300gr white rice (Originario, Arborio, Roma)
- 1/2 cup, 60 gr all-purpose flour
- 4 cups, 1 L. whole milk
- 4 tbsp, 50 gr sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 orange zest
- 1/2 stick, 50 gr butter
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 cup, 0,75 cl peanut oil
- 1 tsp baking soda
Cooking Directions
- Dissolve the sugar in milk, add butter and salt and bring to a boil. Pour in the rice and let it all cook slowly until the absorption of all the liquid.
- Almost at the end of cooking, add the grated zest and let cool thoroughly.
- Whip the whites until stiff and set aside.
- Embedding the egg yolks and flour, mix well.
- Add the baking soda and then, at last, the egg whites, folding gently.
- Heat oil in the pan and take the dough with a teaspoon, helping to make him fall into the hot oil with a tablespoon.
- Do not pour too many fritters at a time.
- Wait about 3 or 4 minutes they become golden on both sides.
- Drain on kitchen paper and then move in a bowl with the remaining sugar, so that they are well coated.
- Arrange on a tray and enjoy hot.
- To tell the truth they are very good cold as well…
Rice Fritters
I have actually tried this recipe; I've to say it is a winner! Simple to execute and…too much easy to taste. Yummy!!
Thanks a lot for your nice comment. I just saw that i didn’t publish a reply for you…so sorry! Thanks again and keep in touch with old tuscan recipes!