Frittelle di Riso / Tuscan Rice Fritters

Vanilla, citrus and rum scented crispy rice fritters, best eaten (like everything fried) still warm and doused with sugar moments before serving.

The kind of frittelle I make at home are fluffy and full of aromas, which change depending on my mood and time of year; towards the Christmas festive period, for example, I’d add some cinnamon and rum soaked raisins.

Should you wish your frittelle to turn out slightly denser and walnut shaped, change the proportions by increasing the content of rice and use one egg less. I like to keep things very simple and omit baking powder in my recipe below, which otherwise can be added at the very end of mixing the batter, for an extra volume whilst frying. I’d say one teaspoon and a half should be enough.

Serves 4-6:

• 150 g of rice (I like to use risotto rice: carnaroli or arborio)
• 500 ml of milk, full fat
• 2 tablespoons of plain flour, sifted
• 60 g of fine sugar plus some more for coating/sprinkling
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1/2 of a vanilla pod, cut lengthways and the seeds scraped off
• grated zest from one orange (unwaxed)
• grated zest from half a lemon (unwaxed)
• a teaspoon of aged rum
• a pinch of salt
• vegetable oil or olive oil for frying

Pour the milk into a small pan and slowly bring to the boil. As soon as the first bubbles appear add the rice and cook on a lower heat, stirring occasionally. In the meantime add the grated lemon and orange zest, sugar and vanilla seeds to the pan. Cook all together until all the milk has been absorbed and the mixture has turned deliciously creamy.

Take the pan off the hob and leave to cool completely.

Once the rice mixture has cooled down, add the egg yolks, rum, pinch of salt and flower, stirring  throughly.

Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks.

Gradually add them to the rice mixture and fold (from the bottom to the top) using a large spoon, which helps to keep the air in. Once all the ingredients are well combined, prepare the frying pan.

Pour the oil into the frying pan, about 2 cm high, and once it’s ready (check it with a bread crumb, which should sizzle nicely but not too fast) drop spoonfuls of batter into the pan. Fry in batches, on both sides until golden dark in colour. Transfer to paper towels to drain the excess oil before either rolling the frittelle in the sugar or just simply sprinkling some sugar on top.

They are best eaten still warm.