Supplì al telefono

  • medium
  • 12
  • 1 hour 30 minutes
5.00

This supplì recipe will help you to recreate one of Rome's favourite street foods at home. These little croquettes are filled with rice, beef and stringy mozzarella cheese, which provides the 'al telefono' part of the name – locals say that, when the supplì are split and pulled apart, the thin cord of mozzarella resembles a telephone line.

First published in 2018

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Supplì al telefono

Method

1
To begin, sauté the onions and garlic in a glug of olive oil until soft. Add the mince and thyme leaves and cook until the mince is nicely browned
2
Add the red wine and reduce by half. Next, add the passata and leave to simmer for 20 minutes
3
Add the risotto rice and cook until it has absorbed most of the passata. After this time, add a couple of splashes of beef stock and again wait for the rice to absorb the liquid. Repeat the process, adding a small amount at a time, until the rice is almost ready but a little undercooked. Remove from the heat
4
Stir in the butter and grated Parmesan, then spread over a cling film-lined tray to allow the rice to cool quickly. Chill in the fridge overnight or until completely cold and set
5
Tear the mozzarella into 12 even strips and, using a knife, cut the set rice into 12 even portions
6
Take one of the portions of rice, lay it flat in your hand, and place the mozzarella in the centre. Roll the rice and around until you have a nice neat cylinder. Place on a clean plate and repeat to form the remaining supplì
7
Preheat a deep-fryer or deep pan of oil to 180°C
8
Prepare a bowl of whisked egg, a plate of flour and a tray of breadcrumbs. One-by-one, roll the supplì in the flour, then the egg, and finally coat in the breadcrumbs
9
Deep-fry the supplì in batches until golden, then drain on kitchen paper. Serve hot to ensure a nice gooey cheese centre

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