Risotto alla Milanese recipe from the Risotto experts

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Risotto alla Milanese is a basic risotto recipe with the addition of saffron. This gives it a distinctive yellow colour and a delicate aroma.

As with all risottos, it is essential to only use short grain rice such as Carnaroli or Arborio. Don't rinse them before cooking, this will only remove valuable starch.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Servings: This recipe makes 4 servings as a main meal, eight as a starter.

Freeze: Absolutely not

Special Equipment: Almost any largish frying pan (skillet) can be used for a risotto but a good quality thick based one is best. This will ensure that the risotto is evenly cooked. A lid or a plate to cover the frying pan is needed at the end of the recipe.

INGREDIENTS FOR RISOTTO ALLA MILANESE

Ingredient	Quantity
Carnaroli or Arborio risotto type rice	300g / 10½oz / full 1¼ cups
Onion	1 medium
Butter	115g / 4oz
Parmesan Cheese (fresh)	8 tablespoons (10 for USA)
Minced bone marrow (very optional!)	2 tablespoons (2½ for USA)
Saffron (broken into little bits)	½ level tablespoon
Vegetable stock	2 pints / 1.2 litres
Dry white wine	5 tablespoons
Salt and pepper	To taste

PREPARATION FOR RISOTTO ALLA MILANESE

Top and tail the onion and peel it. Chop finely.
Heat the vegetable stock (simmering).
Grate the fresh Parmesan cheese.
If using strands (rather than powder) of saffron, chop or grind them up into small bits. Grinding them is probably easier because they jump around a lot if you chop them with a knife. You don't want to get any bits on the floor because saffron, weight for weight, is more expensive than gold!

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COOKING THE RISOTTO ALLA MILANESE

STEP 1 - Fry the onions gently.

Add half the butter to the frying pan on a medium heat and let it melt.
Stir in the saffron and cook it in the butter for a minute. Stir continuously to release the colour and flavour of the saffron.

Add the onions to the pan, turn the heat down to low and fry gently for 10 minutes.

If you are using the bone marrow, add it at the same time as the onions.

STEP 2 - Add the rice, wine and stock.

Add the rice to the frying pan (still on a lowish heat) and sir it continuously for two minutes until the rice is coated in oil and heated through.
Add the wine and some salt and pepper. Stir frequently until the wine has been absorbed by the rice. Add about a quarter of the stock to the risotto and stir it in.

STEP 3 - More stock, then butter & Parmesan.

When the rice has absorbed most of the liquid add another quarter of the stock and continue doing so until all the stock is used and absorbed. Taste the risotto, the rice should be soft but still with some bite to it. Add more water if the rice is too hard, and let the rice absorb the liquid.

Correctly cooked risotto should have very little liquid in it, the liquid should be absorbed by the rice. Test the risotto for seasoning now and add more salt if needed.

Remove the frying pan from the heat and add the butter and HALF the Parmesan cheese. Stir it in thoroughly for 30 seconds or so, cover the frying pan with its lid or plate and leave for 2 minutes.

Serve immediately, topping it with a portion of the remaining Parmesan cheese. If you have any parsley, decorate with that as well.

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