Culinary Explorer
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Supplì al Telefono
Created by Chef Graziella
Rome's beloved rice croquettes, crisp and golden outside, hiding molten mozzarella that stretches into telephone wires when you break them open. Street food that proves frying is a noble art.
In Rome, supplì are sold from glass cases in pizzerias and rosticcerie, grabbed hot and eaten standing on the sidewalk. They are not fancy. They are not complicated. They are, when made correctly, one of the most satisfying things you can put in your mouth.
The name 'al telefono' comes from the mozzarella. When you bite through the crisp coating and pull the two halves apart, the cheese stretches into long, thin strings that resemble telephone wires. This only happens when the supplì is hot and the cheese is properly melted. Cold supplì are not supplì al telefono. They are simply disappointment.
The foundation is risotto cooked with a simple tomato ragù. Americans often confuse supplì with arancini, the rice balls of Sicily. They are cousins, not twins. Arancini are larger, often stuffed with ragù and peas, sometimes round, sometimes pear-shaped. Supplì are smaller, always oval, always filled with mozzarella, always Roman. Do not conflate them. Romans find this irritating.
Ingredients
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
3 tablespoons
yellow onion
Quantity
1 small
diced fine
ground beef
Quantity
8 ounces
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| extra virgin olive oil | 3 tablespoons |
| yellow oniondiced fine | 1 small |
| ground beef | 8 ounces |
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