Polpette Riso / Rice Patties

This recipe reminds of the holidays as that’s when it would appear when I was growing up.  Polpette, Italian for patty (most commonly used when talking about meatballs); Riso, Italian for rice =  Rice patties, aka rice balls!  Polpette Riso are specific to the Calabrian region of Italy.  You may have encountered the more popular arancini, from Sicily, in restaurants and Italian markets but polpette riso are a little more difficult to come by, especially if you don’t know a Calabrian mom or grandmother.  Good news, they are easy to make and a guaranteed smash if you have a potluck coming up! 

Ingredients:

• 2 c riso (any rice works)
• 1 whisked egg
• 2 c parmigiano cheese
• 1 cup chopped parsley
• 2 tsp. salt
• 6-8 c of olive oil 

1.  Cook the rice in 4 c of water with salt.  Let the rice cool before starting the next step, you can cook it the night before.
2.  Mix your cooked rice, whisked egg, parmigiano, and parsley together until the mixture becomes sticky enough to form patties.  An extra whisked egg may be necessary.
3.  Coat your hands with a little olive oil (you may need to do this a couple times throughout the patty forming) and form your patties. 
4. Heat your oil in a large sauté pan or even a Dutch oven works great (reduces splash back).  Start when oil reaches ~350-375 F(best results) or when you throw a grain of rice in and it sizzles.
5.  Fry on each side of the patty until golden brown  and place in a tray with paper towel.  *Tongs work great for this step.

Enjoy!…in moderation :)