Suppli Al Telephono

This means "Telephone wires" since they imitate telephone wires when you bite into them and have a cheese string from your mouth to your hand. These are fun to make.

Suppli al Telefono

This is a popular appetizer from Italy that was designed to use up leftover risotto. For advance preparation, the risotto balls may be fried ahead and reheated in 350 degree oven before serving. When it's prepared and heated properly it should be stretched strands of cheese when one bites into it. It imitates telephone wires, ergo the name.

Base risotto:

4-5 c. chicken broth

1/4 cup olive oil

 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 medium onion diced

 2 cups Arborio rice

1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

salt to taste

Bring broth to a boil in a med. saucepan & keep it to a simmer (Don't let it boil away). In a separate large saucepan pan, heat olive oil and butter. Add diced onion and sauté over med. heat, until translucent 4-5 minutes. Stir in rice and cook just long enough to coat the grains thoroughly 1-2 min.

Heat on medium heat, add 1/3 cup simmering broth and cook, stirring constantly, until liquid is absorbed. Always stir in the same direction "because"….not sure why, but that’s how I was trained. Continue to add broth 1/3 cup at a time stirring constantly over med. heat until all liquid is absorbed until all liquid is gone ~ about 16 min. until rice is tender with a bite to the middle. Remove from heat and add cheese, season with salt. Allow rice to cool about 2 hours before making the balls. You may also cover and refrigerate until the next day.

Mozzarella balls:

Risotto recipe as above.

3 large eggs DIVIDED,  1 in risotto and 2 eggs for dipping

4 oz. mozzarella diced

1/2 c. Parmesan cheese grated

2 Tbsp. minced Italian parsley

salt &pepper to taste

2 cups dried bread crumbs

Vegetable oil for frying

Beat 1 egg and add to cooled risotto, mix well. Combine  Parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper.

Scoop up egg sized amount of risotto (1 1/2 Tbsp.) and lay it in the palm of your hand.

 The rice should be no more than 1/2 inch deep.

 Make an indentation in the center, fill with small diced cube of mozzarella and fold over, roll into a ball. Don't over stuff it.

 Lay it on a bake sheet and finish rolling all the balls. (*Rinse hands every 4-5 balls). Beat the remaining eggs with a little salt in a small bowl. Set breadcrumbs on a small bowl or plate. Dip the ball first into the egg, and drop into the bread crumbs and roll.

“Wet hand" and "dry hand " technique works well here! (Keep 1 for wet and 1 for dry). Lay on separate sheet. You may need to refrigerate briefly until balls become firm. Heat 3 inches of oil in the pan until 375 degrees. Test oil by dropping a few bread crumbs in the oil. They should bubble and turn brown almost instantly. Using a slotted spoon lower the rice balls into the oil.

Fry until golden brown about 2 min. (I did 3 at a time) Remove with a slotted spoon onto paper towels.

Serve immediately with PIZZA SAUCE!

When you pull them apart the string should be line string. I have not tried freezing them. You can reheat in the oven 350 degrees until done or microwave (if you are a Type A Osler)

Makes 20-24.

SAUSAGE, CHEESE, AND ROASTED RED PEPPER CALZONE (Page 46)

1 1/2 c. warm water 105-110 degrees
1 envelope dry yeast
2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
4 c. flour, divided
1 lb. red onion, sliced thin
1 large red bell pepper
4 sweet Italian sausages, castings removed
12 oz. ricotta cheese, drained 1 hour
3 c. mozzarella cheese, grated
3 tsp. dried oregano
2 T. olive oil
Corn Meal for dusting
Option: 2 cloves crushed garlic in 4 Tbsp. butter, melted
Pour warm water into a large bowl and stir in yeast. Let stand about 5 minutes until
yeast dissolves. Mix in salt and oil. Add 3 3/4 cups flour (do 1/2 cup at a time),
stirring until blended. Transfer to a floured surface and knead dough (you may not
need all of the 1/2 cup reserved flour for this). You want it smooth and elastic, but not
sticky. Rub inside a large bowl with oil and place dough in the bowl. Flip the dough
over (oily side up) and cover with saran wrap in a draft free place for 1 hour, 15 min.
The dose has risen when 2 fingers indentations remain. Filling: Place a red pepper on
a baking sheet and set the oven to broil. Roast the pepper until all of the sides are black. Transfer to a bowl and cover with saran wrap for 10 minutes. The steam will help shed the skin. Peel, seed and slice into thin strips. Set aside. In a large skillet, heat olive oil, over medium high heat. Cook red onions until brown (25 minutes.) Remove onions to a bowl and cook sausage, breaking it into small bits, until done. Set aside. In a bowl, mix together the mozzarella, ricotta and oregano. Season to taste
with salt and pepper. Place oven racks in the top 1/3 and bottom 1/3 of the oven.
Preheat to 400 degrees. Brush 2 cookie sheets with olive oil and dust with cornmeal.
Punch down the dough. Knead on a floured surface for 1 minute. Divide dough into 4
equal portions,shaping each into a ball. Roll each into a 9 inch round. I transfer it to
the bake sheet before assembly.) Spread 1/3 cup of the cheese mixture over half of
each round, leaving a 3/4 inch border. Place 1/4 of the onions, another 1/3 cup cheese
mixture, 1/4 of the sausage, 1/3 cup of the cheese mixture, and 1/4 of the peppers.
Fold dough over forming a half circle and seal edges firmly, so nothing leaks out.
Pierce top of calzone a few times with a sharp knife so steam can escape while
baking. Repeat with 3 other calzones, 2 per bake sheet. Bake 15 minutes, reverse
sheets and bake 15 more minutes, until golden brown. Makes 4 HUGE calzones.
Note: You can be creative with the fillings. I recommend making sure everything is
cooked going into the calzones. 4 calzones can easily feed 8 people. I'd also consider
adding garlic flavored melted butter to brush on as it comes out of the oven.
Note #2: I doubled the dough and the cheese filling. I made 4 circles of dough, wrapped them up and divided the cheese mixture by 4 and put it in baggies. Then a freezer bag. Now when my son wants a calzone in college, he just needs to buy a jar of roasted red peppers and fry up sausage/ onion. Stuff and bake.

SAUSAGE, CHEESE & ROASTED RED PEPPER CALZONE (Page 55)

Everything that one should learn about Italian cooking should come from Jungle Jim's Carol Tabone! Call the Jungle and schedule a class~ Here's Carol's Calzones:


SAUSAGE, CHEESE, AND ROASTED RED PEPPER CALZONE

1 1/2 c. warm water 105-110 degrees

1 envelope dry yeast

2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt

4 c. flour, divided

3 tsp. dried oregano

3 c. mozzarella cheese, grateD

12 oz. ricotta cheese, drained 1 hour
1 large red bell pepper 

2 T. Olive oil

1lb. Red onion sliced thin

4 sweet Italian sausages, castings removed

Pour warm water into a large bowl and stir in yeast. Let stand about 5 minutes until
yeast dissolves. Mix in salt and oil. Add 3 3/4 cups flour (do 1/2 cup at a time),
stirring until blended. Transfer to a floured surface and knead dough (you may not
need all of the 1/2 cup reserved flour for this). You want it smooth and elastic, but not
sticky. Rub inside a large bowl with oil and place dough in the bowl. Flip the dough
over (oily side up) and cover with saran wrap in a draft free place for 1 hour, 15 min.
The dose has risen when 2 fingers indentations remain. Filling: Place a red pepper on
a baking sheet and set the oven to broil. Roast the pepper until all of the sides are
black. Transfer to a bowl and cover with saran wrap for 10 minutes. The steam will
help shed the skin. Peel, seed and slice into thin strips. Set aside. In a large skillet,
heat olive oil, over medium high heat. Cook red onions until brown (25 minutes.)
Remove onions to a bowl and cook sausage, breaking it into small bits, until done. Set
aside. In a bowl, mix together the mozzarella, ricotta and oregano. Season to taste
with salt and pepper. Place oven racks in the top 1/3 and bottom 1/3 of the oven.
Preheat to 400 degrees. Brush 2 cookie sheets with olive oil and dust with cornmeal.
Punch down the dough. Knead on a floured surface for 1 minute. Divide dough into 4
equal portions,shaping each into a ball. Roll each into a 9 inch round. I transfer it to the bake sheet before assembly.) Spread 1/3 cup of the cheese mixture over half of each round, leaving a 3/4 inch border. Place 1/4 of the onions, another 1/3 cup cheese mixture, 1/4 of the sausage, 1/3 cup of the cheese mixture, and 1/4 of the peppers.
Fold dough over forming a half circle and seal edges firmly, so nothing leaks out.
Pierce top of calzone a few times with a sharp knife so steam can escape while
baking. Repeat with 3 other calzones, 2 per bake sheet. Bake 15 minutes, reverse
sheets and bake 15 more minutes, until golden brown. Makes 4 HUGE calzones.
Note: You can be creative with the fillings. I recommend making sure everything is
cooked going into the calzones. 4 calzones can easily feed 8 people. I'd also consider adding garlic flavored melted butter to brush on as it comes out of the oven.
Do Ahead: Freeze the dough just after you mix it- Thaw it in a warm greased, covered bowl.

Suppli al Telefono

* Recipe is from Jungle Jim's Carol Tabone. She KNOWS her risotto!
This is a popular appetizer from Italy that was designed to use up leftover risotto. For advance preparation, the risotto balls may be fried ahead and reheated in 350 degree oven before serving. When it's prepared and heated properly it should be stretched strands of cheese when one bites into it. It imitates telephone wires, ergo the name.
Base risotto:
4-5 c. chicken broth 1/4 cup olive oil 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 medium onion diced 2 cups Arborio rice 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt to taste


Bring broth to a boil in a med. saucepan & keep it to a simmer (Don't let it boil away).
In a separate lg. saucepan pan, heat olive oil and butter. Add diced onion and saute over med. heat, until translucent 4-5 minutes.
Stir in rice and cook just long enough to coat the grains thoroughly 1-2 min.
Heat on med. add 1/3 cup simmering broth and cook, stirring constantly, until liquid is absorbed. Always stir in the same direction "because". Con't. to add broth 1/3 cup at a time stirring constantly over med. heat until all liquid is absorbed until all liquid is gone ~ about 16 min. Until rice is tender with a bite to the middle. Remove from heat and add cheese, season with salt. Allow rice to cool about 2 hours before making the balls. You may also cover and refrigerate until the next day.

Mozzarella balls:
Risotto recipe as above.
3 large eggs DIVIDED, 1 in risotto and 2 eggs for dipping
4 oz. mozzarella diced
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese grated
2 Tbsp. minced Italian parsley
salt &pepper to taste
2 cups dried bread crumbs
Vegetable oil for frying

Beat 1 egg and add to cooled risotto, mix well. Combine mozzarella, Parmesan, parsley,salt and pepper.

Scoop up egg sized amount of risotto (1 1/2 Tbsp.) and lay it in the palm of your hand. The rice should be no more than 1/2 inch deep. Make an indentation in the center, fill with small diced cube of mozzarella and fold over, roll into a ball. Don't over stuff it. Lay it on a bake sheet and finish rolling all the balls. (Rinse hands every 4-5 balls)

Beat the remaining eggs with a little salt in a small bowl. Set breadcrumbs on a small bowl or plate. Dip the ball first into the egg,
and drop into the bread crumbs and roll.
"Wet hand" and "dry hand " technique works well here! Lay on separate sheet. You may need to refrigerate briefly until balls become firm.


Heat 3 inches of oil in the pan until 375 degrees. Test oil by dropping a few bread crumbs in the oil. They should bubble and turn brown almost instantly. Using a slotted spoon lower the rice balls into the oil.

Fry until golden brown about 2 min. (I did 3 at a time) Remove with a slotted spoon onto paper towels.
Serve immediately.
When you pull them apart the string should be line string. I have not tried freezing them. You can reheat in the oven 350 degrees until done or microwave (if you are a Type A Osler)
Makes 20-24.