Risotto alla Milanese
Lombardy · pasta · serves 4 · 35 min total · medium
The gold of saffron echoes the stained glass of Milan's Duomo. Legend credits a 16th-century glassmaker who put leftover saffron from his pigments into a wedding feast.
Ingredients
- 320 g carnaroli rice
- 30 g beef bone marrow (optional)
- 1 small onion, fine dice
- 80 g butter
- 120 ml dry white wine
- 1 pinch saffron threads
- 1.2 L rich beef broth
- 80 g Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1 pinch salt
Method
- Bloom saffron in a ladle of warm broth.
- Sweat onion (and marrow if using) in half the butter — pale and soft, no colour.
- Add the rice. Toast 2 minutes until the grains turn pearly and clack against the pan.
- Pour in wine. Stir until evaporated.
- Add hot broth one ladle at a time, stirring, only adding more when the rice almost dries. Continue 16–18 minutes total.
- Three minutes from done, stir in the saffron broth. Adjust salt.
- Off heat: beat in the remaining cold butter and Parmigiano vigorously (the mantecatura). Cover 2 minutes.
- Plate by shaking — the risotto should slide as a wave, not a lump.