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Frittelle di riso
Rice fritters
Frittelle di riso: Tuscany's rice fritters with citrus zest for San Giuseppe and Carnival
In Florence and across Tuscany, frittelle di riso are fried on 19 March for the feast of San Giuseppe (Father's Day in Italy), and also through Carnival. Rice is cooked slowly in milk until soft and creamy, then left overnight, mixed with egg, flour and lots of lemon and orange zest, and fried by the spoonful into golden fritters, rolled in sugar. Stalls in Florence's piazzas sell them in paper bags. Chef's tip: cook the rice the day before and chill it; cold, set rice holds its shape in the oil.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 oz caster sugar
- ⅔ oz butter
- 1 lemonzest only
- 1 orangezest only
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 eggs
- 2 ⅛ oz plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 ¼ cups sunflower or peanut oilfor frying
- 2 ⅞ oz caster sugarfor rolling
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Cook 5 ½ oz short-grain pudding or risotto rice in 2 ½ cups whole milk with 1 oz caster sugar, ⅔ oz butter, 1 pinch salt and the zests of 1 lemon and 1 orange over a low heat for 35–40 minutes, stirring often, until very soft and all the milk is absorbed. Cool, then chill overnight.
40 minStep 2: Beat 2 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla extract into the cold rice, then stir in 2 ⅛ oz plain flour and 1 tsp baking powder to make a thick batter that holds on a spoon.
Step 3: Heat 3 ¼ cups sunflower or peanut oil in a deep pan to 350°F. Drop in tablespoons of the batter, 5–6 at a time, and fry for 3–4 minutes, turning, until deep golden all over. Common mistake: spoonfuls too large; the centre stays raw.
20 minStep 4: Drain on kitchen paper and roll in 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar while warm. Serve warm.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 270 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does frittelle di riso take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of short-grain pudding or risotto rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
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