Supplì al Telefono (Fried Roman Rice Croquettes with Mozzarella)

La storia di questo piatto

Born in the Roman trattorias and fry shops of Lazio, the supplì is the city's most beloved street-side ritual, a golden croquette of tomato-red rice that carries the soul of Rome in its simplest form. Its name, 'al telefono', belongs to the mozzarella that stretches into a long thread when you pull it apart.

Ingredienti

• 300 g Arborio rice
• 150 g Meat ragù
• 100 ml Tomato passata
• 200 g Fior di latte mozzarella
• 550 ml Meat broth
• 60 g Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 20 g Butter
• 30 ml Extra virgin olive oil
• 3 pieces Eggs
• 250 g Breadcrumbs
• 1200 ml Peanut or high-oleic sunflower oil for frying
• q.b. to taste Salt
• q.b. to taste Black pepper

Preparazione

1. Keep the meat broth warm in a small saucepan over low heat throughout the cooking. In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat the 30 ml of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat, add the rice and toast it for about 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the grains turn translucent at the edges and smell lightly toasted (without browning). Add the tomato passata and the ragù, stir and let it flavour for 1 minute: the rice cooks directly in the sauce, as in Roman tradition.
2. Add the hot broth one ladle at a time, stirring often, and add more only once the previous has been absorbed. Cook for about 18 minutes, until the rice is al dente and the mixture is dry and compact, not soupy: at the end no liquid should remain at the bottom, and the rice should be dense and sticky. If you don't use all the broth, set the leftover aside: a dry risotto is better than a waterlogged one. Adjust salt and pepper halfway through cooking, remembering that the broth, ragù and cheese are already flavourful. Taste a grain: it should still have a slight resistance at the centre.
3. Turn off the heat and fold in the grated Parmigiano and the butter cut into pieces, stirring for 1-2 minutes only until the mixture is uniform: the rice should stay firm and sticky, not creamy. Taste and correct salt and pepper. Spread the rice in a layer about 2-3 cm thick in a high-rimmed baking tray and let it cool to room temperature, then transfer it to the fridge for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight): cold rice becomes firm and compact and is easy to shape.
4. Cut the mozzarella into sticks about 3 cm x 1.5 cm at least 1-2 hours beforehand (preferably the evening before) and let it drain on paper towels in the fridge: if it releases water during frying, the supplì may burst. With slightly damp (or lightly oiled) hands, take about 75 g of cold rice, a portion the size of an egg. Place it on your palm, make a hollow with your finger, insert a mozzarella stick and close the rice around it, shaping an elongated oval about 7 cm long, well compacted and without cracks. You should obtain about 12 supplì.
5. Set up a breading station with three plates: in the first, beat the 3 eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper; the second holds the breadcrumbs; the third is left free for the breaded supplì. Pass each supplì through the egg, then the breadcrumbs, pressing lightly. For a more secure crust, repeat the step (egg and then breadcrumbs again). Arrange the breaded supplì on a plate and let them rest in the fridge for 15-20 minutes before frying, so the coating sets and doesn't crack in the oil.
6. Pour the frying oil (about 1200 ml) into a deep pot or fryer and heat it to 170-175°C. Without a thermometer, the test is this: a breadcrumb dropped into the oil should immediately rise to the surface sizzling and turn golden within seconds. Immerse 3-4 supplì at a time with a slotted spoon, lowering the heat to medium after immersion to maintain the temperature. Fry for 4-5 minutes, turning them halfway through, until golden and crisp on all sides and the mozzarella heart has melted. Drain with the slotted spoon onto paper towels and sprinkle lightly with salt on the surface.
7. Serve the supplì immediately, piping hot and crispy. When you break them open, the melted mozzarella stretches into long strands reminiscent of the spiral cord of an old telephone: that's why they're called 'supplì al telefono'!