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Risotto Alla Milanese
It is the king dish of Milan, the gastronomic symbol of the city: we are talking about risotto alla Milanese, a recipe with an unmistakable color and taste.
With regard to its origin, some trace it back to kosher and Arab cuisine, others tell a story linked to the construction site of the Milan cathedral, in particular to the stained glass windows of the cathedral which depict the life of Saint Helena: a boy who worked there used to mix the colors with saffron to make them brighter and ended up doing the same thing in a dish of risotto.
According to other sources, however, the lucky combination of rice and saffron was already well known to Arabs and Jews, and in particular to medieval kosher cooking; in fact, it was some Jewish merchants who brought this recipe to Northern Italy from Sicily on their wanderings.
And Sicily has always inspired another version whose protagonist is a Sicilian cook who moved to Milan; revisiting the original arancini recipe, she obtained a completely new dish that was as good as it was beautiful.
Finally, the recipe for risotto alla Milanese appears in cookbooks from the 1800s as โyellow rice in a panโ. Only later was it called โyellow Milanese risottoโ.
It is the recipe we know today, prepared with the most typical ingredients of the Lombard cuisine of the past. Butter, beef marrow, onion, gradually adding broth diluted with saffron, as per tradition.
Between history, myth and legend, the fact remains that risotto alla Milanese, is truly delicious. You know, risottos are my great passion!
Use a superfine rice like Arborio or Carnaroli and follow my advice into practice for a perfect creaming.
As saffron you can use the powdered one โ one or two sachets are enough for a risotto for four people โ or the pistils, calculating 15 grams for four portions for people and leaving them to infuse for at least 40 minutes in hot water before using them in the risotto.
Recommended items for this recipe:
Partanna Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil is made with Nocellara del Belice olives also known as Castelvetrano Olives in Sicily, Italy
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Risotto Alla Milanese
Description
Risotto alla Milanese is a typical first course of Lombard cuisine, in particular of Milan; based on rice, saffron and ox marrow (a fatty substance found inside the long bones of cattle), an ingredient that distinguishes it from the classic Risotto allo saffron; and which gives it a more intense and decisive taste and an extraordinary creaminess due precisely to the viscosity of the marrow! In short, an incomparable goodness, which is usually served together with Ossobuco alla Milanese! Do you want to prepare it at home? Here is the Milanese Risotto Recipe for you with all the Tricks and Secrets illustrated with step-by-step photos for a perfect result! Just like the best restaurants in Lombardy!
Ingredients
Instructions
Melt the butter in a saucepan and brown the shallot or finely chopped onion.
Add the marrow and let it melt. Add the rice and proceed with the toasting. About 3 to 5 minutes until translucent.
Add the broth or hot water and cook until the rice is cooked.
See package instructions about rice cooking time.Adding a ladleful of hot broth every time the previous one dries up.
Add the saffron previously dissolved in hot water.ย
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Two minutes before the end of cooking, turn off the heat and let it rest for a minute. Then add the cold butter, Parmigiano Reggiano and extra virgin olive oil if you prefer.
Add the marrow as garnish to the risotto, once served.
Note
Risotto alla Milanese should be eaten immediately, as soon as it is cooked, but if you want to preserve it, you can keep it in the refrigerator for a day and then reheat it again.
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