Venere Rice and Seafood Arancini

Name: Venere Rice and Seafood Arancini
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Black Venus rice 1 ½ cup; Shallot 1; White wine 1.7 oz; Rice starch 2 spoonfuls; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Fish broth to taste; Black pepper to taste; Shrimps 7 oz; Scampi 7.1 oz; Red mullet 7 oz; Peas 1 cup; Garlic 1 clove; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Eggs medium 2; Black sesame seeds to taste; Peanut seed oil to taste

it de es fr br

840

Calories per serving

Gluten Free
Lactose Free

Energy Kcal 840
Carbohydrates g 72.3
of which sugars g 3.4
Protein g 22.9
Fats g 50.2
of which saturated fat g 9.99
Fiber g 2.9
Cholesterol mg 184
Sodium mg 681

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Serving: 4
Cost: Average

PRESENTATION

Arancini with Venere rice and fish brings a whole new vibe to Sicilian street food. And look, swapping the classic white rice for this striking black Venere rice doesn’t just look cool—it adds a nutty aroma, kinda like freshly baked bread. Seriously good. Folks in Sicily are all about putting their own spin on arancini, and using Venere rice is a bold move that makes every bite a little more exciting. And the seafood? It’s amazing. You get shrimp, scampi, mullet, and sweet peas, all tucked inside a ball of tender black rice.

The flavors are deep and a bit briny, playing off the creamy inside of the rice. Traditional arancini are already a hit, but this venere rice arancini feels special. Like, really special. And with a hint of something adventurous thanks to that rare rice. In Sicily, people know their way around seafood arancini and aren’t shy about mixing things up. Adding a couple spoonfuls of rice starch is a smart trick for working with Venere rice since it’s lower in starch than the regular stuff. Really clever. That little tip keeps the rice balls firm and easy to shape—so you don’t end up with a mess.

The outside gets crispy and golden after frying—which makes for a great contrast to the moist and savory seafood filling inside. Some say black rice arancini are the future of Italian rice balls. For real. Especially if you’re into trying new flavors but want to keep things rooted in tradition. These aren’t just for special occasions—gourmet arancini variations like this are showing up at parties and family dinners all over Sicily.

The blend of unique Venere rice with Sicilian seafood just works, giving you a snack that’s both rich and a bit unexpected. Pretty much. Anyone who’s into fish arancini or traditional Italian appetizers will find this twist on arancini totally worth sharing. Whether you’re hosting a gathering or enjoying a quiet dinner, these arancini are sure to impress, bringing a taste of Sicily straight to your table.

INGREDIENTS

840

Calories per serving

Ingredients for 10-12 arancini: Black Venus rice 1 ½ cup (300 g); Shallot 1; White wine 1.7 oz (50 ml); Rice starch 2 spoonfuls; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Fish broth to taste; Black pepper to taste

For the filling: Shrimps 7 oz (200 g); Scampi 7.1 oz (200 g); Red mullet 7 oz (200 g); Peas 1 cup (150 g); Garlic 1 clove; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste

For cooking: Eggs 2 - medium; Black sesame seeds to taste

For frying: Peanut seed oil to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Venere Rice and Seafood Arancini

To prepare the venere rice and seafood arancini, start by cleaning the seafood (the heads and shells will be used for the Fish Stock). For the How to clean shrimp, gently detach the head, remove the legs, and peel off the shell: use these parts to prepare the fish stock.

Remove the intestines from the shrimp with tweezers 4, the central black vein. Then clean the scampi as well, detaching the head and cutting the shell with scissors to extract the meat; also remove the intestines and chop both the shrimp and scampi. Finally, take the already cleaned red mullets (alternatively open them to remove the innards), cut along the top near the head with a knife and fillet them 5, being careful to remove the bones with tweezers. Then finely chop the obtained fillets 6.

Set the seafood preparations aside and focus on cooking the venere rice: chop the shallot 7 and pour it into a large pan with a drizzle of oil 8. Sauté over low heat, avoiding burning the shallot, then add the venere rice 9.

Toast the rice, then after 5 minutes pour in the white wine 10 and gradually add the fish stock 11 to aid in cooking the venere rice (this type of rice has a very long cooking time, you can halve the time using a pressure cooker or by purchasing precooked venere rice). Towards the end of cooking, add a bit of rice starch which will make the arancini more compact when you form them. Finish cooking and turn off the heat 12.

While the venere rice is cooking, pour plenty of oil into another pan and brown a clove of garlic 13. Then add the previously chopped seafood 14, salt, and pepper to taste 15 and let it cook for 2 minutes.

Add the peas 16 and cook for a few minutes (if using frozen peas, you can blanch them in boiling water for a few minutes first); then remove the garlic and turn off the heat. Let the preparations cool and once cold you can form the arancini: moisten your hands with a little oil, then flatten some rice on the palm of your hand and create a hollow in the center. Pour the filling inside the rice 17 and close 18 forming a ball. To give the classic arancino shape, form the ball then pinch one side to form an apex.

In a bowl, beat the eggs and prepare the black sesame seeds; then roll the arancini first in the beaten egg and then in the black sesame seeds 19, carefully covering the entire surface. Fry one or two arancini at a time in plenty of seed oil (it should not exceed 338°F) 20, then place them on a tray covered with paper towels 21. Serve your arancini hot or warm!

Storage

Store the venere rice and seafood arancini in the refrigerator for 1-2 days at most, in an airtight container.
You can freeze the arancini after breading (only if you used fresh, not thawed ingredients) and fry them directly without defrosting.

Advice

If you want to halve the cooking time, you can use a pressure cooker to cook the venere rice, or purchase precooked venere rice. You can stuff the arancini with the seafood mix of your choice.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.