Rice Croquettes

I love this dish; I have fond and vivid memories of it. Very popular in my family, “croquetas de arroz” take me back to my childhood. These crisp and golden croquettes add fun to a simple dinner like chicken and salad, and they also make a very tasty appetizer…
This is another example of the Italian influence in Argentina.
“Arancini or arancine are fried (or, less commonly, baked) rice balls coated with breadcrumbs, said to have originated in Sicily in the 10th century. Arancine are usually filled with ragù (meat sauce), tomato sauce, mozzarella, and/or peas.”(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arancino)
These croquettes became very popular after Italian writer Andrea Camilleri published a novel titled “Gli arancini di Montalbano” (Montalbano's arancini). In the novel, Inspector Montalbano was known to be a fan of the Arancini’s rice balls.
Arancini’s rice balls are named after the Italian word arancia, which means “orange” – for the look of the rice balls after being deep fried. The recipe was taken from the Arabs who occupied Sicily during the early Middle Age.

You can also add a variety of ingredients such as spinach, corn, ham, chicken, tuna and more. The recipe below is my own twist on my mother’s classic recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients
• 3 cups cold cooked rice
• 2 eggs
• 1 small onion
• 1 jalapeño
• 1 garlic clove
• Olive oil
• 6 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• 8 oz. Mozzarella cheese cubed
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 egg for coating
• Bread crumbs
• Oil, as needed for frying

Preparation:
In a small saucepan add the oil and cook the onion, jalapeño and garlic for 5 minutes.
Place the rice in a bowl and add the grated cheese, chopped parsley, onion mixture and eggs.
Season to taste.
Let the filling cool before assembling the croquettes.
Take some of the rice in one hand and with your finger make a hole in the middle and add the mozzarella cube. Close the mozzarella inside making a rice ball. Dip the balls into the beaten eggs, and then coat with breadcrumbs.

Fry in abundant oil and once ready drain them on absorbent paper and serve hot.