He added a precious golden leaf to decorate the saffron risotto milanese and he also introduced an innovation, leaving the sauteed onion and using an onion flavoured butter instead.

Saffron risotto milanese s one of the most traditional italian recipes: the first document in which we can read about saffron risotto was of the XVI century and it was found in Milan. That’s why it is also called «Risotto alla milanese».

Pellegrino Artusi, important author and gastronomer, wrote the saffron risotto recipe in his book «La scienza in cucina e l’ arte di mangiar bene” ( The kitchen science and the art of well eating), published in 1891. For Artusi, there are 2 kinds of risotto alla milanese recipes:
the first prepared with sautéed onion, beef broth and saffron; the second also with beef marrow added.

Gualtiero Marchesi, one of the most famous italian chef (in his life he collected 3 Michelin Stars) was the first chef leaving the sauteed onion from risotto, adding a precious golden leaf at the end.

With Tenuta La Colombara and its Riso Acquerello we prepared this special saffron risotto during a live webinar.

Riso Acquerello is a special Carnaroli rice. It’s aged for at least one year in refrigerated silos, so the rice gets more consistency and the flavour is enhanced. Acquerello is also healthier, because the rice is whitened with a gentle method and the germ is reintroduced in the rice, giving back the nutrition values of a brown rice.

Saffron Risotto with edible gold leaves

SAFFRON GOLDEN RISOTTO (Gualtiero Marchesi)

Risotto for 4 people

• 12 oz of Carnaroli rice (350 gr)
• 1 oz of butter (25 gr)
• ⅓ cup of white wine (80 ml)
• 0,01 oz of saffron stigma (0,30 gr)
• 1 ½  US quart of beef stock (1,5 lt)
• Salt to taste

For mantecatura

• 1 ½ oz of butter (40 gr)
• 2 ½ oz of aged Parmigiano Reggiano* (20 gr) 

For the stock

• 6 US quart of water (6 lt)
• 2 lb of chuck with bone (or only beef bones if you want a lighter broth)
• 1 peeled golden onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 stalk of celery
• 1 leaf of bay

Method

Prepare the stock. 

Add the beef and the vegetables to cold water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for the recommended time: 2 hours in a stockpot or 1 hour in a pressure cooker. Cool the stock and skim the surface with a strainer.

Prepare the saffron. Put the saffron in 1/4 cup of broth or water a couple of hours before at least. Even better if you soak the saffron the night before.

Choose the pot. Take a saucepan, a quite large pot, with enough depth, so the liquid doesn’t evaporate too quickly. Don’t use a frying pan because the walls are too low. Don’t even use a high stockpot or the liquid might not evaporate enough.

Prepare the risotto.

First step – Tostatura 

Toast the rice on low heat, stirring for a couple of minutes. Add a pinch of salt. 

Why do we need to toast the rice?

In this way, the heat reaches the core of the rice grain, it becomes harder, and at the end the risotto will be al dente.

Second step – Sfumatura

After a couple of minutes, add the wine. All the wine must be absorbed: in this way all the alcohol will evaporate. The white wine will give the correct acidity to our risotto.

Third step – Cooking risotto 

Now pour the simmering broth using a ladle, gradually. Set the cooking time to 16 minutes. Stir the rice occasionally: in this way we help the starch to get out from the rice grain. This step is useful to prepare a naturally creamy risotto.

Keep on adding the simmering stock when needed, a ladle at a time, little by little. A couple of minutes before the risotto is ready, add the saffron stock into the risotto and continue to cook.

Fourth step – Mantecatura

Once the time is up, remove the risotto from the heat. Cover the pot with a clean dish cloth and let it rest for a minute.The next step is called “mantecatura” and it’s useful to make the risotto creamier. Add the cold butter before and then the grated parmigiano and. Stir with energy to melt and to incorporate extra air until the risotto is nice and creamy.

*Use Parmigiano Reggiano and NOT Parmesan, because it’s a completely different cheese. If Parmigiano is too expensive, you could but Grana Padano. Choose an aged cheese, at least 30 months.

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