RECIPE / ONE REALIZATION
Published by the Italian Academy of Cuisine, this is considered to be the go-to recipe for the signature rice dish of Milan. You can either serve it as a light starter or enjoy it in a more traditional manner — as a side dish to the famous ossobuco alla Milanese .
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RECIPE INGREDIENTS
METHOD
Place the saffron in 240 ml (1 cup) of hot, but not boiling, broth to dissolve.
Place the butter, diced onion, and marrow in a large heated saucepan and sauté over low heat until the onion becomes translucent. Add the rice and stir it in well so that it absorbs the flavors.
Increase the heat and start adding hot beef broth to the rice, one ladle at a time, while stirring in an even, circular motion. Each time the rice absorbs the broth, add more. Cook for about 15 minutes, depending on the quality of the rice, making sure it remains al dente.
Finally, add the remaining broth with saffron dissolved in it and remove it from the heat. Add grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and season with salt.
OTHER REALIZATIONS
This recipe is the creation of Gualtiero Marchesi, a renowned Milan-born Italian chef who is considered to be the founder of modern Italian cuisine. Apart from zafferano or saffron, his recipe also features oro , meaning gold in the form of an edible paper-thin leaf placed on top of the finished dish, which turns your risotto alla Milanese culinary presentation into a work of art.
USEFUL NOTES
Dried saffron threads are preferable to powder, which loses its flavor more quickly and can be adulterated with other ingredients.
Among a number of different varieties, there are some particularly suitable for risotto such as Vialone Nano, Arborio, Carnaroli and Maratelli.