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Supplì al telefono are Rome's answer to Sicily's arancini - cylindrical fried rice balls stuffed with a rich meat ragù and a cube of mozzarella that melts during frying into a long, stretchy thread when the supplì is pulled apart, mimicking the old telephone cord that gave the dish its name. Unlike Sicilian arancini, supplì are smaller and more oval in shape, coated in fine breadcrumbs and fried to a thin, crackling amber crust. The rice is cooked with the ragù and mixed with Parmesan so it is flavourful throughout, not just in the filling. They are sold at every Roman friggitoria and rosticceria by the piece, hot and wrapped in paper, and are the quintessential Roman street food. The molten mozzarella pull at the moment of opening is one of the great small pleasures of Roman eating.
Prep
35 min
Cook
35 min
Total
70 min
Servings
4 srv
Difficulty
Medium
Calories
375 kcal
For 4 serving(s)
Per serving
Make the ragù: heat a splash of olive oil in a pan, cook the diced onion until soft. Add the ground beef and brown thoroughly. Pour in the red wine and reduce. Add the passata and simmer for 30 minutes until thick. Season and cool completely.
Cook the Arborio rice in well-salted water for 15 minutes until just al dente. Drain and toss with the grated Parmesan while hot. Spread on a tray and allow to cool completely.
Combine the cooled rice with the ragù in a large bowl and mix well. Cut the mozzarella into small cubes and set aside.
With wet hands, take a portion of the rice mixture (about 80g) and flatten it in your palm. Place a cube of mozzarella in the centre. Close your hand, shaping the rice firmly around the filling into an oval shape, about 8cm long.
Set up a breading station: flour in one dish, beaten eggs in another, breadcrumbs in a third. Roll each supplì in flour, then beaten egg, then breadcrumbs, pressing gently to adhere.
Heat the vegetable oil to 175°C (350°F). Fry the supplì in batches for 3-4 minutes, turning, until golden all over. Drain on a rack.
Serve hot - let each person pull theirs apart to see the mozzarella stretch into the famous telephone wire.
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