Risotto alla Milanese

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy-bottomed 4-quart pot or deep skillet with straight sides
• •Wooden spoon or flat-edged wooden spatula
• •Small ladle for adding broth
• •Small bowl for blooming saffron

Instructions

1. 1

   Bloom the saffron

   Ladle one half cup of hot broth into a small bowl. Add the saffron threads. Let them steep while you prepare everything else, at least 10 minutes. The broth will turn deep gold and smell of honey and hay. This is the soul of the dish.

   True saffron is expensive because each thread must be hand-harvested from a crocus flower. If your saffron was cheap, it is not saffron. The flavor will be absent and the color artificial.
2. 2

   Prepare the bone marrow

   If using whole marrow bones, roast them at 450°F for 15 minutes, then scoop out the soft marrow. Alternatively, ask your butcher to extract the marrow for you. The marrow should be soft and spreadable. Set it aside.

3. 3

   Build the soffritto

   In a heavy-bottomed pot or deep skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with the bone marrow over medium heat. When the fats have combined, add the diced onion. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the onion is completely soft and translucent. This takes 8 to 10 minutes. The onion must not brown. You are building a foundation, not creating caramelization.

   There is no garlic in authentic risotto alla Milanese. None. If you have been adding garlic, you have been making something else.
4. 4

   Toast the rice

   Add the rice to the soffritto all at once. Stir thoroughly for 2 minutes, coating every grain with the hot fat. The exterior starch toasts and creates a seal that allows the grain to absorb liquid gradually while remaining firm at the center. The grains will become translucent at the edges, opaque at the center. You will hear a faint crackling sound. This is correct.

5. 5

   Add the wine

   Pour in the white wine. It will hiss and steam. Stir constantly until the wine has evaporated completely. You should no longer smell alcohol. The pan should be nearly dry before you proceed. Only then do you begin adding broth.

6. 6

   Add broth gradually

   Add the saffron with its steeping liquid. Stir until absorbed. Then begin adding the remaining hot broth one ladleful at a time, stirring frequently. Never add the next ladleful until the previous one is nearly absorbed. The rice should always be moist but never swimming. Adjust heat to maintain a gentle simmer. This process takes approximately 18 minutes.

   The broth must be hot. Cold broth shocks the rice and interrupts the cooking. Keep your pot of broth at a bare simmer beside the risotto.
7. 7

   Test for doneness

   After 16 minutes, begin tasting. The rice is ready when it is tender but retains a whisper of resistance at the very center. Not crunchy. Not mushy. This takes between 18 and 22 minutes depending on your rice and your heat. You may not need all the broth. You may need a bit more. The rice tells you what it needs.

8. 8

   Perform the mantecatura

   Remove the pot from heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of cold butter, cut into pieces, and the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Stir vigorously for 30 seconds. This is the mantecatura, the final enrichment that makes risotto creamy without cream. Taste and add salt as needed. The saffron broth and cheese may have provided enough.

   The butter must be cold. Cold butter emulsifies into the hot rice, creating creaminess. Soft butter simply melts and becomes greasy.
9. 9

   Achieve all'onda

   Let the risotto rest for one minute off heat, covered. Then check the consistency. When you shake the pan, the risotto should flow like a wave. This is all'onda. If it is too thick, stir in a splash of hot broth. It will continue to thicken as it sits, so err toward loose.

10. 10

    Serve immediately

    Spoon the risotto onto warm plates, spreading it with the back of the spoon so it flows naturally toward the edges. Do not mound it. Risotto waits for no one. Once plated, invite your guests to put off talking and start eating. Pass additional Parmigiano-Reggiano at the table.

Chef Tips

• •Carnaroli rice is traditional in Lombardy and more forgiving than Arborio. It maintains its structure even when slightly overcooked. Vialone Nano is acceptable. Arborio works but requires more attention.
• •The broth matters enormously. Homemade beef or veal broth creates risotto of a different order than anything made with commercial stock. If you must use store-bought, choose low-sodium and taste before adding any salt.
• •In Milan, risotto alla Milanese is the traditional accompaniment to osso buco. The saffron rice and braised veal shanks are inseparable. Served alone, it is a primo. Served with osso buco, it becomes part of something greater.
• •Do not add cream. Proper risotto is made creamy through technique: the mantecatura of cold butter and Parmigiano stirred vigorously into the hot rice. Cream is a shortcut that creates a different dish.

Advance Preparation

• •The broth can be made days ahead and refrigerated, or frozen for months. Bring it to a simmer before you begin the risotto.
• •Bone marrow can be extracted from roasted bones up to a day ahead and refrigerated.
• •The saffron can be bloomed in hot broth up to 30 minutes before cooking.
• •Risotto itself cannot be made ahead. It must be served within minutes of completion. This is not a dish for buffets.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 300g)