La Cucina Viola

During my solo trip to Italy last May, I did not go a day without eating this traditional Roman street food. Suppli al Telefono is a delicious mix of rice, sauce, and cheese that is then deep fried and enjoyed. They call it “al telefono” because when you break it in half, the cheese pull from the center looks like a telephone cord. If you can’t make it to Rome to try these, you’ve got to at least taste them in your kitchen at home using this recipe.

Video

Ingredients

• 1 cup of your favorite marinara sauce (I used my Pomodoro Sauce recipe)
• 3/4 cup of Arborio rice
• 3 cups of chicken stock (veggie stock works if you want to make these vegetarian)
• 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup worth of fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups of Italian style breadcrumbs
• 40 oz of canola or vegetable oil

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, mix together your sauce and uncooked rice until the mix just begins to boil.
2. Bring the heat down to low-medium and add the chicken stock.
3. Stir constantly, cooking until the rice has absorbed the liquid and the rest has evaporated (the mix should still be moist but not at all soupy).
4. Mix in the grated parmesan.
5. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
6. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
7. Once the mix has cooled completely, using a cookie scoop or your hands, take a 2 oz portion and flatten it in your hand.
8. Take one of the mozzarella cheese cubes and place it in the center.
9. Fold the edges over the cheese and roll into a ball, then form the ball into an oval shape.
10. Place the ovals on a cookie sheet and set aside.
11. In a small bowl, beat 2 eggs until homogenous.
12. In a separate small bowl, pour out the breadcrumbs.
13. Prepare a drying rack over some paper towels.
14. In a medium pan, heat the oil to 350 over high heat, using a thermometer to ensure it the oil is at the right temperature.
15. Take the suppli ovals and dip each in the egg mixture, then the breadcrumbs, then carefully place in the oil to fry until they are golden brown.
16. Don’t let the suppli get quite as dark as the photo here, as they will continue to brown slightly outside of the oil.
17. Place the suppli on the drying rack to drip dry.
18. These should be served fresh, if you are bringing these to an event, be sure allow great ventilation or the steam will cause them to get soft and lose their crunch.
19. Let cool slightly and enjoy!