Supplì al Telefono

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy 4-quart saucepan for ragù
• •Wide heavy pot for risotto
• •Deep heavy pot for frying
• •Instant-read or candy thermometer
• •Wire cooling rack
• •Rimmed baking sheets

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the ragù

   In a heavy saucepan, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook slowly until completely soft and pale gold, about 12 minutes. Do not brown it. Add the ground beef and break it into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook until it loses its raw color, stirring often, about 8 minutes.

2. 2

   Add wine and tomatoes

   Pour in the wine and let it bubble until evaporated completely. Add the crushed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered, until thick and concentrated, about 30 minutes. The ragù should be dense, not watery. Set aside to cool.

   The ragù can be made a day ahead. Cold ragù is easier to mix into the rice without making it soggy.
3. 3

   Cook the rice

   In a wide, heavy pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the rice and stir for 2 minutes to coat each grain. The rice should become translucent at the edges. Add warm broth one ladleful at a time, stirring frequently, waiting until each addition is nearly absorbed before adding the next. This takes about 18 minutes. The rice should be tender but still have a slight firmness at the center.

   The rice for supplì should be slightly wetter than risotto served at table. It will firm up as it cools.
4. 4

   Combine rice and ragù

   Remove the rice from heat. Stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano and the cooled ragù. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes, then stir in the 2 beaten eggs. The eggs bind everything together. Season with salt if needed. Spread the mixture onto a rimmed baking sheet in an even layer. Refrigerate until completely cold and firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.

5. 5

   Shape the supplì

   Wet your hands lightly to prevent sticking. Take about 2 tablespoons of the cold rice mixture and flatten it in your palm. Place one cube of mozzarella in the center. Mold the rice around the cheese, forming an oval shape about the size of a small egg. The mozzarella must be completely enclosed. Set on a parchment-lined tray. Repeat with the remaining rice and cheese.

   If the rice is too soft to shape, refrigerate it longer. Cold rice is obedient. Warm rice is not.
6. 6

   Bread the supplì

   Set up three shallow dishes: flour in the first, beaten eggs in the second, breadcrumbs in the third. Roll each supplì in flour, shaking off the excess. Dip in egg, letting the excess drip off. Roll thoroughly in breadcrumbs, pressing gently to adhere. Place on a clean tray. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set the coating.

7. 7

   Fry until golden

   In a deep, heavy pot, heat the vegetable oil to 350°F. The oil should be at least 3 inches deep. Fry the supplì in batches of 4 or 5, turning occasionally, until deep golden brown on all sides, about 4 minutes per batch. Do not crowd the pot. The temperature will drop if you add too many at once, and they will absorb oil and become greasy.

   Use a thermometer. Guessing oil temperature is how people ruin fried food. Too cool, the coating absorbs oil. Too hot, the outside burns before the cheese melts.
8. 8

   Drain and serve immediately

   Transfer the fried supplì to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Let them rest for 1 minute only. The mozzarella inside should be melted and stretchy, pulling into long strings when you bite through the crust. This is why they are called 'al telefono.' Serve immediately. They wait for no one.

Chef Tips

• •Fresh mozzarella, not the dry blocks sold pre-shredded, is essential. The cheese must melt into strings. Dry mozzarella does not stretch properly.
• •The rice mixture must be cold before shaping. Attempt this with warm rice and you will have a mess on your hands, literally.
• •Supplì can be shaped and breaded several hours ahead, kept refrigerated on a tray. Fry them just before serving. They cannot be reheated successfully.
• •If you want extra insurance against leaking, double-bread them: flour, egg, crumbs, then egg and crumbs again. This creates a thicker armor.

Advance Preparation

• •The ragù can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated.
• •The rice mixture can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. In fact, this is preferred. Cold rice shapes more easily.
• •Shaped and breaded supplì can be refrigerated for up to 6 hours before frying.
• •Once fried, supplì must be served immediately. There is no holding them, no reheating them. Plan accordingly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 85g)