Supplí al Telefono (Roman Rice Balls Stuffed with Cheese)
Did you know that most recipes on the internet are teaching you to cook your Supplí al Telefono incorrectly? My recipe teaches you the very specific technique you must use to give your rice the perfect texture…. A method that most recipes completely miss.
Servings 14 rice balls
Calories 270kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 cups Arborio rice
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup ragù
- 1 cup chicken stock (or water)
- ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano (or Parmesan)
- 3 eggs
Assembly Ingredients
- 6 oz mozzarella cut into small strips
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- In a medium pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped ¼ yellow onion and sauté until soft and translucent.
- Add the 2 cups Arborio rice and stir for 1–2 minutes to lightly toast. Season with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper.
- Pour in the 1 cup ragù and 1 cup chicken stock (or water), stirring briefly to combine. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Do not stir while it cooks.
- Remove the rice from the heat and stir in ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano (or Parmesan) while still hot.
- Spread the rice thinly onto a baking sheet to stop the cooking process and allow it to cool for about 15 minutes at room temperature. Then transfer to the refrigerator and chill until completely cold.
- Place the cold rice in a large bowl and mix in the 3 eggs until fully combined.
- With damp hands, take about 2 tablespoons of rice and flatten it slightly in your palm. Add a piece of 1 strip of mozzarella in the center, then cover with 2 more tablespoons of rice and shape into an oblong oval (the shape should resemble a pill but should be much larger), making sure the cheese is fully enclosed. Repeat with remaining rice.
- Arrange the shaped supplì on a tray and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until firm.
- Prepare a coating by whisking the 3 eggs in one shallow bowl. Place the 2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs in a separate shallow bowl.
- Dip each supplì into the eggs, then roll in the breadcrumbs until evenly coated. For a thicker crust, repeat the coating and breadcrumb step a second time. Return to the refrigerator for another 30–60 minutes.
- Heat vegetable oil in a deep pot to 350°F. Fry the supplì in batches for 3–5 minutes, turning as needed, until golden brown and crisp on all sides. The centers should be heated through (about 150 degrees Fahrenheit) and the cheese melted.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Serve warm.
Video
Notes
Recipe Copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational or personal use only.
- Arborio Rice: This recipe will not work as well if you use a different grain of rice. Arborio is extra starchy, so even when it’s not cooked in a risotto manner, it still will stick together better than other rice grains!
- Ragú: Depending on how in-depth you want to get with your recipe, you can either make your ragú from scratch or purchase a jar of already-made sauce. I went with the easy option and bought the sauce… no shame here!
- Grated Cheese: The grated cheese in this recipe is meant to hold the rice grains together a little more, which is why it’s important to get one with a grated texture. It’s traditional to use Pecorino Romano, but I personally prefer the taste of parmesan better, so I went with that. Use whatever your heart desires, just make sure it’s grated, not shredded.
- Mozzarella: Low moisture mozzarella is key here! Buying mozzarella that is still in the liquid will lead to some extra leaky supplí as the water tries to find a way out. Buy a block and then cut it into strips to fit in your oblong shaped supplí.
- Breadcrumbs: Seasoned breadcrumbs aren’t super traditional, but they’re my favorite here. I used Italian style breadcrumbs, but if you have plain, they will also work great! And if you only have plain breadcrumbs but WANT seasoned breadcrumbs, you can add about 1 tsp of an Italian seasoning blend to them and stir before using. Easy peasy.
- My number one most important tip for this recipe is NOT skip the chill time!!! And I can tell you from personal experience… I almost thought that my recipe was a failure when every single ball was falling apart when I tried to egg & bread them. Turns out, I had forgotten to chill them. As soon as I left them in the fridge for 30 minutes, the process was seamless. This can truly make or break your experience!
- Some Italian grandmas will coat their Supplí in a flour + water blend… 50% water, 50% all purpose flour. If you really want an authentic version, try it that way and let me know what you think!
- For easy shaping, get your hands damp when assembling. I don’t mean soaking wet… rather, you want a thin, damp layer on your hands. I kept a small bowl of water near my assembly station and would dip my hands between every 2 or so balls. This will keep the rice from sticking to your hands.
- The assembly process will be messy and there will be grains of rice everywhere. This is just part of the process. The important thing is that you have rice balls that stick together, which is, again, why chilling is vital.
- Feel free to play around and experiment with the sauces & fillings. There was a little cafe near my home in Rome that would serve carbonara, cacio e pepe, and even gricia-flavored Supplí!
Nutrition
Serving: 14rice balls | Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 483mg | Potassium: 121mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 233IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 3mg