For me, this has been the year of Sushi and that has had an influence on my cooking.
I came across an interesting recipe for Arancini from Italy. These are rice balls, with a variety of fillings, deep fried in breadcrumbs.
I found the risotto rice used was difficult to stick together without compressing it hard and destroying the structure of the rice hence the experiment, which has proved to be very successful as follows.
Make a cup of sushi rice (including the sweetened vinegar). Gently mix in some cooked prawns, spring onions, fresh ginger and coriander leaves – all of which have been chopped quite small (to avoid causing the ball to fall apart). Sprinkle in a little fish sauce and soy sauce being careful not to soak the rice. Roll gently into balls. Have a bowl of water handy to keep hands moist because it is very sticky. Roll the balls in beaten egg then in breadcrumbs. I use panko into which I mix salt, pepper, smoked paprika, chilli and raz-al-hanout. Only use enough for a background flavour and not so much that it overwhelms the dish. Then air fry for around 15 mins. You can, of course, deep fry them.
Finally serve with a dipping dish of soy sauce and sweet chilli. The result was incredible.
I am sure it would. I would use a drop of sesame oil with butter. If you flatten them too much you might have trouble holding everything together while it cooks. I would go for a thicker patty and cook long and slow. This is still experimental and hasn’t moved from my testing section to final result in my recipe book.
I read that the original arancini were Sicilian street food (I guess so you can eat a rice dish easily with your fingers)
I do not deep fry anything coated with breadcrumbs because it can be messy. I prefer an air fryer for anything like that. There seems to be an aversion to deep frying because of the amount of oil used. I remember seeing a video of my hero Richard Feynman (a famous quantum mechanics physicist) explaining the science behind deep frying. I can’t find that video now but I did find this explanation.
"The physics of deep frying is fascinating and involves several principles of heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and chemistry. Here’s a breakdown of the key phenomena: 1. Heat Transfer: Conduction and Convection When food is submerged in hot oil (typically between 160–190°C), heat is transferred to the surface of the food by convection through the oil. The heat then moves inward to cook the food’s interior via conduction, which is slower than the initial surface heating. 2. The Role of Oil Oil acts as a high-temperature heat conductor, surrounding the food and ensuring even cooking. Its ability to transfer heat quickly is what makes deep frying so efficient. Unlike water, oil can reach much higher temperatures, allowing for the rapid browning and crisping of food. 3. Moisture Vaporization The food’s surface moisture rapidly evaporates as steam when it contacts the hot oil. This creates the characteristic sizzling sound. The escaping steam prevents oil from penetrating the food, which is why properly fried food isn’t greasy inside (though improper frying techniques can result in oil absorption). 4. The Maillard Reaction At high temperatures (above 140°C), sugars and amino acids in the food’s surface react in a process called the Maillard reaction. This creates the golden-brown color and complex flavors associated with fried foods. 5. Crisping As water leaves the surface, the outer layer of the food becomes dehydrated and rigid, forming the crispy texture we associate with fried foods. 6. Fluid Dynamics: Bubbling The vigorous bubbling you see when food is added to hot oil is caused by water in the food turning into steam. The bubbles rise through the oil and create turbulence, which helps with even heat distribution. Key Factors in Successful Deep Frying Temperature Control: Maintaining the right temperature is crucial. If the oil is too hot, the food can burn before cooking through. If it’s too cool, the food absorbs more oil and becomes greasy. Oil Type: Oils with a high smoke point (e.g., canola, peanut, or sunflower oil) are ideal for deep frying because they resist breaking down at high temperatures. Food Size and Shape: Smaller or thinner pieces cook faster and are less likely to absorb excess oil. Deep frying is a great example of physics and chemistry working together to create delicious results! "
All good except for the choice of oils, whilst they claim a high smoke point they are not healthy oils to start with, they are highly processed in most cases and oxidise inside the body. (Maybe not exactly the correct term but they cause oxidative stress inside us, also too high in omega 6)
Yes, I was following comments elsewhere on the forum Corona. I looked at virgin rapeseed but at around €15/litre it makes my air fryer a good purchase.
How much of the oil actually gets into the food when deep frying? I tend to double cook something like battered fish. I wack the temperature up to 185 deg, drop the fish in then, when temperature drops towards 165, I remove it, drain it, then increase temp to 185 again to finish.
I make onigiri a lot and sometimes fry them to get a crisp outside (yaki onigiri is the name for them then), I do them in a steel frying pan, made hot enough, in a tiny bit of peanut oil also made hot enough and let them make a crust before I try to move them with a metal spatula, otherwise they stick and/or disintegrate. I have a useful tool for making onigiri in bulk, I used to make them entirely by hand but have copped out, it is SO handy being able to make 6 at once.
That is a very good question Mik, as that report said done properly, very little and as the old adage says, its the dose that make the poison. I used to have two sugars in my tea/coffee, problem being about 12 cups per day! Like wise with oils a little bit probably wont matter, I just believe if people know then its better than not as the labels tout heart healthy.
Concerned as ever as my brother suffered two mini strokes from boxing day and just visited him in St George’s stroke unit, only 68y.
Sorry to hear your news. Hope all will be well. I lost my brother to cancer when he was 59. The hardest thing I had to learn when watching him over his last year was that we all walk our own path.
Thanks Sue, he is feeling better today, wont listen, wont do as the doctor tells him and wrong on many points but wont change so he is definitely getting back to his usual self. His memory has suffered from the blockage at the front left side of the brain.
Exactly the same as with my brother. He was 68 and had two mini strokes. During covid and he spent 48 hours or so in A&E before being seen before the first one. After the second he was sent straight to a stroke unit in Manchester and they sent him back to the hospital saying he hadn’t had a stroke. He had, but all the delays just compounded the damage done and now his mobility is seriously affected.
Sorry to hear that hairbear, fortunately as St Georges specialise in strokes and heart problems it was a quick decision between the local hospital (useless) and St Georges. All scans and tests carried out within, 30 mins I would say. He is in the best of care but is not the best of patient. I doubt anyone would get better on hospital food though,
