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Risotto Alla Milanese (Risotto with saffron)
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 1.2 litres home-made meat stock (see recipe, below)
- 1 shallot or 1⁄2 small onion, very finely chopped
- 60g beef marrow, unsmoked
- pancetta or fatty prosciutto, very finely chopped
- 75g butter
- 350g carnaroli or arborio risotto rice
- 120ml red wine
- 1/3tsp powdered saffron or 1tsp saffron threads
- 60g parmesan, freshly grated
Italian meat stock
- 1.5kg assorted meat, cut into large pieces
- 1 onion, halved and stuck with 3 cloves
- 1-2 carrots, cut into pieces
- 2 celery stalks, cut into pieces
- 1 leek, cut into pieces
- handful mushroom peelings or stalks
- 6 parsley stalks
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 1 ripe tomato, quartered
Method
Bring the stock to simmering point and keep it at a very low simmer.
Put the shallot, beef marrow and 60g butter in a saucepan and sauté until the shallot is soft and translucent. Add the rice and stir until well coated with fat. Pour in the wine, boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, and then pour in 200ml simmering stock. Cook at a lively, steady simmer until nearly all the stock has been absorbed, then add another 150ml stock. Continue adding the stock in small quantities like this, waiting for one to be nearly all absorbed before adding the next.
Around halfway through the cooking, dissolve the saffron in a little hot stock and add to the risotto. When the rice is ready – it should be soft and creamy, not mushy or runny – taste and adjust the seasoning.
Remove from the heat and add the remaining butter and 3 tablespoons of parmesan. Leave to rest for 1-2 minutes then give it a good stir to make it even creamier. Serve immediately, with the remaining parmesan on the side.
Italian meat stock
Put all the ingredients in a stockpot with 1 teaspoon salt. Add 3 litres cold water, or enough to cover, and bring to the boil. (The water must be cold to start with, so that the meat and the vegetables can slowly release their juices.) Set the lid slightly askew so that the steam can escape and turn the heat down to the minimum for the stock to simmer (the best stock is made from liquid that cooks at a temperature of 80C/176F, rather than 100C/212F, boiling point). Using a slotted spoon or – better still – a skimmer, skim off the scum that comes to the surface during the first 15 minutes then cook for around 3 hours. Strain the stock through a large sieve lined with muslin or cheesecloth into a large bowl. Leave to cool and then put in the fridge until solidified fat forms on the surface. Remove this and when there are only a few specks of fat remaining, heat the stock a little, then drag a piece of kitchen paper gently across the surface. Most of the fat ‘eyes’ will stick to the paper.
Taste the stock and, if you
think it is a bit too mild, reduce
over a high heat, remembering
that it may taste mild because it
contains a minimal amount of salt.
Cover with cling film and keep in
the fridge for up to 3 days or in
the freezer for up to 3 months.
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