Italian Street Food: Make Arancini Rice Balls

Looking romantic things to do on valentines day at home? Taken your parter on virtual trip to Italy and tantalise their taste buds with this Italian virtual cooking class!Arancini (or arancine) are the pride of Sicilian cuisine and street food and in this cooking class online you'll learn step-by-step how to make your own! You can find these delicious rice balls everywhere on the island at all times. From city to city they often change shape and size, taking an oval, pear or round features, depending on the filling. There are over 100 variations but the most popular and definitely the most delicious has to be the classic recipe which is served with the meat sauce ragu.Don't worry if you're new to cooking, arancini might seem like a complicated dish to make but with this online class you will have plenty of clear demonstrations, on-hand help and plenty of tips and tricks along the way!These filling rice balls are the perfect starter for your romantic Valentine's dinner, but be careful... your lover will want more than just a couple of them - they are highly addictive! So, if you fancy impressing your partner or you're simply just looking for fun things to do at home, this virtual cooking class is a hearty way to fill your day, and your belly. Grab your apron and let's cook an authentic Italian storm together!

Beginner-friendly
  Ingredients for 6 arancini:

• 250g of Carnaroli or Arborio rice, same as the risotto rice.
• 600ml of water with vegetable stock.
• 1 tsp of saffron.
• 50g of butter.
• 100g of minced pork or beef.
• 50g of peas.
• 1 x carrot.
• ½ onion.
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.
• 100g of small cubes of cheddar cheese (the original recipe has provola cheese which is like a dried smoked mozzarella but it is very difficult to find here in UK, cheddar is a good alternative for the consistency it gives).
• ½ glass of red wine.
• 100g of bread crumbs.
• 100g of flour.
• 100ml of water.
• 1 x egg.
• Salt and black pepper.
• 1lt of peanut oil or rapeseed oil (both are great for deep frying as they don't leave the food too greasy but you can also use a standard vegetable oil).

Utensils required:

• 1 x big pot to boil the rice.
• 1 x pot to make the ragu.
• 1 x frying pan.
• 2 x big bowls.
• 1 x big chopping board.
• 1 x serving tray.
• Kitchen paper.