Description
Risotto rice is simmered so its starch granules swell and release long and branched chains that thicken the mixture into a sticky mass. The cooled rice is formed around a cheese cube, breaded, and fried so surface proteins and sugars join at high heat into new browned molecules.
Cultural Background
Suppli comes from Rome in Italy. Street vendors sold these fried rice balls in the 1800s to workers who needed quick hot food. The dish used leftover risotto from the day before, a practical way to avoid waste in busy city kitchens. Rice reached Italy through trade routes from Asia centuries earlier and became common in the north before spreading south. In the pot the rice starch chains spill out and link together when heated in broth, turning loose grains into a firm paste that holds shape. During frying the outer crumbs reach temperatures above 150 degrees Celsius where amino acids from proteins meet carbonyl groups from sugars and form new compounds that create the toasted aroma and golden color. The key craft step is sealing the cheese completely inside the rice ball so steam and melting fat stay trapped while the crust sets hard. A single ball contains enough starch to bind several times its weight in liquid yet still fry crisp without falling apart. The mozzarella inside melts into a stretchy thread only when the center reaches about 60 degrees Celsius without the outer shell breaking.
Recipe Info
PREP TIME: 45 minutes
COOK TIME: 25 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 10 minutes
SERVINGS: 4
DIFFICULTY: Medium
Ingredients
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 2 tablespoons tomato puree
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper
- 4 ounces mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- Neutral oil for frying, about 4 cups
Instructions
- Adult: Heat the stock in a small pot until simmering, then keep it warm on low heat.
- Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat and cook the onion until soft.
- Add the rice and stir for two minutes until the grains look shiny.
- Stir in the tomato puree, then add one cup of warm stock and stir until absorbed.
- Continue adding stock one cup at a time, stirring often, until the rice is tender and creamy, about 18 minutes.
- Stir in the butter and Parmesan, season with salt and pepper, then spread the risotto on a tray to cool completely.
- Adult: Heat the frying oil in a deep pot to 170 degrees Celsius.
- Take a spoonful of cooled risotto, press a mozzarella cube into the center, and seal the rice around it into an oval shape.
- Dip the oval in beaten egg, then roll in breadcrumbs to coat completely.
- Adult: Lower the breaded balls into the hot oil in small batches and fry until deep golden, about four minutes.
- Adult: Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Tips
- The rice must be fully cold or the balls will fall apart during breading.
- Use any firm melting cheese if mozzarella is unavailable.
- Fry at steady temperature next time so the crust forms before the cheese leaks.
Nutrition
Calories: 520
Protein: 18g
Carbs: 52g
Fat: 26g