In Italy, rice croquettes come in many shapes and sizes: flattened cakes; small balls; big balls (called arancine, or "little oranges"); good-sized pyramids; and football shaped. They are usually stuffed with cheese, vegetables, and/or meats, and the rice may be tinted with saffron or not. These classic croquettes, a Roman specialty whose name translates as "telephone wires," are stuffed with a mixture of prosciutto, porcini mushrooms, tomato paste, and mozzarella. Their name comes from what happens when you eat them: When you bite into one and draw it away from your mouth, the melted cheese forms stringlike strands reminiscent of telephone cords. While the croquettes can be mixed, shaped, and refrigerated well ahead of time, you must fry them just before serving.

To make the rice mixture, in a saucepan, combine the water and 1 teaspoon of the salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the rice, stir well, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked through but still sticky, about 1 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for minutes.

Add the eggs, cheese, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the pepper to the rice and mix well. Spoon the rice out onto a rimmed baking sheet, spreading it evenly. Refrigerate until cooled but not hard, 1 to 2 hours.

Meanwhile, make the filling. In a sauté pan, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, porcini and their soaking liquid, prosciutto, and tomato paste, stir well, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely. Have the mozzarella ready.

To shape and stuff the croquettes, line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Dampen your hands with water. Scoop up a spoonful of the rice and shape into an oval about 2 1/2 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in diameter. With an index finger, make an indentation in the rice. Spoon some of the filling into the center, and then tuck in a cube of mozzarella. Smooth the rice over the filling, reshaping the croquette, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat until all the rice is used, continuing to dampen your hands as you work so the rice does not stick to your fingers.

Pour the flour and bread crumbs into separate shallow bowls. In a third shallow bowl, lightly beat the eggs just until blended. One at a time, dip the croquettes in the flour, then in the eggs, and finally in the bread crumbs, coating evenly each time, and place on the second prepared baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate until fully chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. Even a short stint in the refrigerator firms them up, making them teasier to fry.

Preheat the oven to 200°F. Line an ovenproof tray with paper towels. Pour oil to a depth of 3 inches into a heavy saucepan and heat to 350°F on a deep-frying thermometer. Place a few croquettes on a wire skimmer, slip them into the hot oil, and fry until golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes. As the croquettes fry, lift them out of the hot oil with the wire skimmer, hold them for a minute, and then slip them back into the hot oil. Repeat this process twice. If you do not do this, the croquettes will be golden on the outside but the mozzarella will remain solid and cool. Using the wire skimmer, transfer the croquettes to the towel-lined tray to drain and keep warm in the oven for up to r minutes. Repeat until all the croquettes are cooked.

Arrange the croquettes on a warmed platter and serve piping hot. This is finger food, so don't forget the napkins.