Arancini

500 g risotto rice
1 cup milk
1 vegetable stock cube
1 sachet of saffron
1 pinch of cinnamon
50 g butter
50 g grated Parmesan cheese
100 g cubed ham
100 g cubed tasty cheese
250 g durum wheat flour
3 beaten eggs with a drop of milk
300 g breadcrumbs
Salt
Rice bran oil
THICK BÉCHAMEL SAUCE:--
25 g butter
25 g sifted flour
1 cup milk
1 pinch of SIDS CRAZY SALT
REGULAR BÉCHAMEL SAUCE:--
25 g butter
25 g sifted flour
250 ml milk
A grating of nutmeg
1 pinch of SIDS CRAZY SALT

In a large pan, bring 1 litre of salted water and 1 cup of milk to the boil. Add the 500 g of rice and the vegetable stock cube. Mix frequently and once the rice is ½ cooked add the saffron. When the rice is fully cooked, (slightly al denté and dry), add the cinnamon, 50 g butter and the same quantity of grated Parmesan cheese. Leave to cool.
While the rice is cooling, prepare a white elastic béchamel sauce that will bind the rice together. Melt 50 g butter, add 25 g flour and mix well to create a thick roux. Take off the heat and add 1 cup of milk little by little stirring constantly. Add a pinch of SIDS CRAZY SALT and then put back on the heat, stirring until it thickens to a sticky, elastic paste. Then add to the rice, mix well and lay the mixture on a large plate to cool.
While cooling, prepare a ‘regular’ béchamel sauce with 25 g butter, 25 g flour, 250 ml milk, a grating of nutmeg and a pinch of SIDS CRAZY SALT. Follow the same method used for the elastic binding sauce and when ready, add the cubes of ham and Provola cheese.
When the rice is cool, take a small flat palmful, add a little of the ham and Provala béchamel mix and then fold the rice around it, adding a little more rice to fully enclose the filling. Put the rice balls on a plate and when all are done, place in the fridge to cool.
When you are ready to fry the arancini (which should now be cold), take out of the fridge and roll them, first in flour, then in a beaten egg and milk mix and finally in breadcrumbs.
Heat some oil in a large pan and add the arancini one by one. Don’t add too many at one time as this will bring down the temperature of the oil. When golden brown, remove and place on a paper towel. Serve hot.
History: Said to have originated in Sicily in the 10th century during Arab rule. In Palermo and Trapani, Sicily, Arancini is a traditional food for the feast of Santa Lucia, 13 December, when bread and pasta are not eaten. This commemorates the arrival of a grain supply ship on Santa Lucia's day in 1646, relieving a severe famine.