Risotto Milanese

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 25

Servings: people

Savor the golden elegance of saffron-scented Risotto Milanese—a dish that’s both effortlessly simple and decadently luxurious.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup shallot , finely sliced and diced
2 cups Arborio rice
½ teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
8 cups chicken stock, low sodium
½ cup Parmigiano reggiano cheese, finely grated
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ cup dry white wine
salt , to taste

US - Metric

Instructions

Heat the chicken stock in a medium saucepan and keep warm over low heat. Transfer 1 cup of the hot broth to a bowl, stir in the saffron and set aside.
Melt three tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a risotto pan or a wide-mouth pan. When the butter starts to foam, add the shallots and cook, stirring, until translucent and soft. 4 to 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir until it is well coated with the butter and onions.
Stir in the wine. When the wine is almost evaporated, add 1 cup of the hot broth. Cook and stir until most of the stock has been absorbed. Continue cooking and stirring the rice this way, adding 1 cup of stock at a time for about 15 minutes.
Stir the saffron stock and add it to the rice. Continue cooking and stirring until most of the stock has been absorbed and the rice is tender but still a bit firm to the bite, 3 to 4 minutes.
Swirl in the remaining tablespoon of butter and about half of the Parmigiano. Stir quickly until the cheese and butter are melted and the rice is creamy and moist.
Taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve with the remaining Parmigiano on the side.

Notes

Use a risotto pan or a wide-mouth pan. You want to ensure the corners are not entirely square but round. This will allow you to grab the rice around the bottom of the pan.

Have your chicken broth warm before adding it to the rice. This will not slow the cooking process, but it will cook slowly and perfectly.

If you have Parmigiano Reggiano rinds, use them while cooking. They will enhance the flavor.

Be careful with the saffron as it stains. Add it to the rice at once.

Always use unsalted butter and taste before seasoning.

The parmesan and stock are a bit saltier than usual, thus requiring a taste before seasoning them.

Do not cut corners with this delicious risotto alla Milanese by adding all the stock at once. It will render the rice too soggy and cause it not to cook evenly.

When buying saffron, choose saffron in threads and not in a powder format, as it is often mixed with other spices.

Be patient since risotto needs to be stirred and watched for about 20 minutes.

Nutrition

Giangi's Kitchen provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as a registered dietician does not calculate them.