Risotto alla Milanese

Risotto alla Milanese requires your undivided attention for exactly 25 minutes. You cannot walk away. You cannot answer the telephone. You stand at the stove, ladle in hand, and you pay attention. This is the price of entry.

The saffron must be real. True saffron costs what it costs because each thread is the stigma of a crocus flower, harvested by hand. If your saffron was inexpensive, it will taste like nothing and color the rice an artificial yellow that fools no one. Spend the money or make a different risotto.

The bone marrow is traditional but often omitted today. I include it because the Milanese have included it for centuries, and because it creates a depth of flavor that butter alone cannot achieve. Ask your butcher for marrow bones and he will know you are serious.

All'onda means 'like a wave.' When you shake the finished risotto, it should ripple and flow. If it sits in a stiff mound, you have made rice pudding. If it runs like soup, you have added too much liquid. The perfect risotto finds the space between.