Its golden-yellow color makes it immediately recognizable; its slightly pungent and spicy flavor tantalizes the palate unmistakably. We're talking about risotto alla milanese, an iconic dish of Lombard cuisine known and loved worldwide.
The origins of saffron risotto
Various stories and legends surround its origins.
According to some, the famous yellow risotto was "invented" in the Middle Ages by a Sicilian cook who had moved to Milan and, unable to find all the ingredients to make arancini, decided to substitute frying with pot cooking.
Another tale attributes the incorporation of saffron into the renowned risotto to sheer happenstance. As per a manuscript unearthed from the Trivulziana Library, the inception of this delicacy also shares a close bond with the Milan Cathedral.
In 1574, Maestro Valerio di Fiandra was engrossed in crafting the Cathedral's stained glass windows. Working alongside him was an assistant dubbed Zafferano ("saffron"), owing to his penchant for infusing colors with a touch of saffron to enhance their brilliance. One day, in jest, the Maestro warned the young assistant that if he persisted, he would find himself adding saffron to dishes as well. True to the jest, on September 8, 1574, during Valerio's daughter's wedding, Zafferano, in cahoots with the cook, agreed to introduce a variation to the wedding menu: a dash of the yellow spice would be added to the rice, previously seasoned solely with butter. Much to the young man's astonishment, the guests not only relished the flavor but also admired the golden tint of the dish, interpreting it as a favorable omen.
The recipe for Risotto alla Milanese
Here we present the recipe for saffron risotto from our historic Cesarina Annamaria.
Milanese Risotto
Enjoy preparing this dish: one of the most representative of Lombard cuisine
DifficultyEasy
Preparation time10m
Cooking time25m
Servings4
€
CostMedium
Ingredients
- Rice (carnaroli, arborio, or vialone nano) 360 g
- Chicken broth 1,500 ml
- Butter 80 g
- Parmesan cheese 4 tablespoons
- Shallot ½
- Saffron 1 sachet
Method
- Cut the shallot into pieces (the size of a rice grain) and sauté it in 50 gr of butter.
- Then add the rice, raise the heat, and pour in half a glass of dry white wine. Let the wine evaporate.
- After that, add two ladles of hot broth, lower the heat, and cook, adding a ladle of broth occasionally to keep the rice covered. After 5 minutes, add a sachet of saffron. Cook until the rice is "al dente".
- Turn off the heat, add a little broth (if necessary), and stir in the remaining butter and Parmesan.
- Cover the pan with a lid and let it rest for a couple of minutes to allow the rice to cook perfectly.
The recipe for ossobuco with gremolata
If risotto alone is not enough for you, here's another gift from Cesarina Annamaria, who shares her recipe for preparing the famous ossobuco in gremolata, excellent to accompany risotto alla milanese.
Ossobuco in gremolada
An ancient and flavorful dish to accompany Milanese-style risotto
DifficultyEasy
Cooking time2h
Servings4
Ingredients
- 4 ossobuco (beef or veal depending on your preference)
- 1 carrot
- 1 celery stalk
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 small onion
- 1 ladle of broth (chicken or vegetable)
- 1 glass of dry white wine
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Zest of 1 organic lemon
- 5 sprigs of parsley
Method
- Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown the ossobuco well on both sides.
- Still with the heat high, deglaze with a glass of white wine.
- When the wine has evaporated, add the vegetables (carrot, celery, onion, and a clove of garlic) diced finely.
- Lower the heat and let it cook for a couple of hours with the pan covered, remembering to add a little hot broth when the preparation dries out too much.
- Season with salt. Turn off the heat and let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Before serving, sprinkle with a mixture of parsley, garlic, and lemon zest.