We made a big pot of chicken-sausage gumbo last weekend and had just enough leftovers to make this wondrous dish.
Gumbo-filled arancini. Life-changing, y’all. I’m obsessed.
We fell in love with arancini – Sicilian fried rice balls – when we lived in Naples (the ones filled with meat sauce are my favorite) and have been dying to try this New Orleans variation for some time.
Do yourself a favor, and take the following steps immediately:
- Make a huge pot of gumbo – we played around with a combination of recipes (one from our friend Kathleen and one from The New Orleans Cookbook) – and invite people you like to come share it with you. This is an excellent idea for, say, a football game. Bonus points if it’s the Saints game.
- The next day, make these gumbo-filled arancini, and prepare to be amazed.
Gumbo-Filled Arancini
Ingredients
- Leftover rice
- Leftover gumbo
- 3-4 eggs
- Breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil
- Hot sauce
Instructions
- Take the rice out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you start cooking so it has time to warm up a bit. Take the gumbo out of the refrigerator just before you are ready to use it.
- In a large mixing bowl, blend leftover rice with 2 beaten eggs until it is slightly sticky and holds together.
- Beat remaining egg(s) in a small bowl and set aside. Pour breadcrumbs into a separate bowl and set next to the egg mixture.
- For each rice ball, make two small patties out of the rice. Add a dollop of gumbo to the center of one patty, then place the second patty on top. Form the two patties into a round shape.
- Dip each rice ball in egg mixture, then roll in breadcrumbs.
- Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a pan until it is hot but not smoking. Fry arancini in the oil, turning so that each side turns golden brown. Remove from pan and place on paper towels.
- Serve with a small bowl of gumbo and extra hot sauce.