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Supplì

A Roman treat and a fine use for leftover rice (especially risotto). Formally called supplì al telefono because the stringy mozzarella center stretches when you bite through the center and is reminiscent of telephone wires, this is a snack, or a very informal starter. If you use packaged bread crumbs, make sure they’re unseasoned.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 6 to 8 serving as a starter or snack

Ingredients

3 eggs
2 cups cold cooked rice, preferably Risotto alla Milanese (page 521)
3 ounces fresh mozzarella, chopped
2 ounces prosciutto, minced, optional
2 cups fine bread crumbs, preferably homemade (page 580)
Corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil for deep-frying

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Break one of the eggs into the rice and mix well. Form the rice into 2-inch balls. With your thumb, make a small indentation in the center of each ball, fill with a little mozzarella, plus prosciutto if you’re using it; reseal the ball with the risotto around it.

    Step 2

    Lightly beat the remaining two eggs and dip each ball into the egg mixture and then the bread crumbs. Set the finished balls on wax paper; they can be refrigerated for up to a couple of hours or cooked right away.

    Step 3

    Put about 3 inches of oil in a deep saucepan and turn the heat to medium-high; bring to 350°F (heat until a bread crumb sizzles in the oil, but not violently). Gently slide the balls into the oil and fry until golden brown, turning once if necessary, about 4 minutes.

    Step 4

    Drain on paper towels and serve hot or at room temperature.

The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved. MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.
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