Supplì.

Cooking time:
Preparation: 30 min
Rice cooking/cooling: 1 hour
Frying: 15 min

Ingredients (for 4–6 servings):
For the rice:
Arborio rice — 300 g
Broth (vegetable or meat) — ~800 ml
Onion — 1 pc (finely chopped)
Olive oil — 2 tbsp. l.
Tomato puree (passata) or chopped tomatoes – 200 ml
Grated parmesan – 50 g
Salt, pepper – to taste
Egg – 1 pc (for mixing with rice)

For the filling:
Mozzarella – 150 g (cut into 2-3 cm cubes)

For breading:
Eggs – 2 pcs
Breadcrumbs – 150 g
Flour – 50 g (optional)
For frying:
Frying oil (sunflower or peanut)

Preparation:
1. Prepare the rice:
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the onion and fry until soft.
Add the rice and fry for a couple of minutes until translucent.
Add the tomato puree, mix.
Start gradually adding the hot broth, 1–2 ladles at a time, stirring until the rice absorbs the liquid (like in risotto).
Cook until the rice is cooked (al dente). Remove from heat.
Add the grated Parmesan, egg, salt and pepper. Mix well.
Let the rice cool completely (you can refrigerate for 1–2 hours or overnight).

2. Forming the soupli:
Take a little cooled rice (about 2 tbsp.) and form a cake in the palm of your hand.
Place a piece of mozzarella in the center, cover with rice, form an oblong ball or oval.
Repeat with all the rice.

3. Breading:
Roll each soupli in flour (optional), then in beaten egg, and finally in breadcrumbs.

4. Frying:
Heat the oil in a deep fryer or deep frying pan to 170–180°C.
Carefully lower the supli into the oil and fry for 2–3 minutes until golden brown.
Place on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

Why “al telefono”?
When you break open a hot supli, the stretched mozzarella string resembles a telephone wire – hence the name “al telefono”.