Recipe: Risotto alla Milanese (a.k.a. Saffron Mushroom Risotto)

Saffron Risotto Milanese Style
Originally uploaded by Beholder

Risotto is one of the most popular dishes ordered at Italian restaurants - particularly outside of Italy. There are many different kinds, but Risotto alla Milanese is well known as a delicious traditional Italian dish.

Here is the recipe for Saffron Risotto using dried mushrooms, the most popular and well-known version. I am sure you will find it surprisingly simple to master - and then this dish won't have to be an occasional treat anymore!


Ingredients for 6 people:
- 4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 cups uncooked Arborio rice (Carnaroli will work as well)
- 6 oz dry white wine
- 2 1/2 pints meat broth or very good vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup dried Porcini mushrooms
- 2 sachet saffron powder (or 1/2 tsp saffron strands*)
- 1/2 cup or more of fresh Parmesan cheese
- freshly grated black pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Warm up the broth in a pot, and leave nerby on very low heat, so that it stays warm but doesn't evaporate. Add the dried mushrooms to the pot.

2. In a wide pot or deep pan, warm up the oil and sauté the onion until golden. Lower the heat a little, add the rice, stirring often, and let it toast until it sounds kind of like sand.

3. Add the wine, stir and let the alcohol evaporate and the rice absorb the liquid.

4. Lower the heat to simmer and start adding the hot broth, one or maximum two ladles at a time, stirring after each addition, and letting the rice absorb the broth before adding more.

5. Continue for about 15 minutes. At this point, you shouldn't have a lot of broth left. Dissolve the saffron in a ladle of broth and add to the risotto, stirring occasionally.

6. Continue with the rest of the broth until the rice is tender but still slightly chewy (Arborio takes about 20 minutes, counting from when you started adding the broth). Remove it from the flame and let it rest for 2-3 minutes.

7. Add 1/2 cup of Parmesan and stir well. Serve the rice and grate black pepper on top of each portion. Serve with additional Parmesan at the table.

Buon appetito!


*Note: I prefer to use powder because it gives a brighter and more even color, however if you can only find strands, use 1/4 teaspoon of strands for every sachet of saffron recommended, and proceed as follows:
as you start cooking, remove 1 cup of hot broth from the pot and pour it into a coffee mug, add the strands and let them steep for 20 minutes or more, until the rice is almost cooked. Then add the saffron broth as you would in step 5 and continue with the recipe.
Thank you to Sharon, for asking about this!


Tips:
- if you prefer a milder mushroom flavor, soak the dried mushrooms in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes (instead than in the broth), then drain them and discard the water (or you may save it and freeze it to use in another dish if you like). Alternatively, you can use dried chanterelle mushrooms instead; they have a milder flavor but still blend very nicely with the dish.
- if you can't have dairy, try adding nutritional yeast instead: it has a cheesy flavor and is rich in B vitamins. Start with a little though, because it has quite a strong flavor and not everyone likes it.
- if you prefer your risotto to have a very mild flavor you can reduce the wine to 4 oz, or decrease the saffron to 1 packet.

Chunky salad with balsamic vinegar dressing

This is our favorite salad for cookouts and picnics. It's easy to make, holds better than salads featuring greens and it tastes fresh, slightly sweet and a little tangy.

Ingredients
- 6 medium vine-ripened tomatoes
- 2 cucumbers
- 1 medium-large red onion
- extra-virgin olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar (must be good quality - we like Ponti)

Preparation
- Slice the tomatoes by cutting them in half and then slicing them sideways into 1/3-inch-wide slices. Transfer to a large glass bowl.
- Peel cucumber. Chop them by cutting them in half length-ways, then in half again and then cutting across into 1/2 inch-thick chunks. Add to bowl.
- Peel red onion. Cut in half, then in quarters, and slice thin. Add to bowl
- In a small bowl, mix 4 Tbsp olive oil and 8 Tbsp vinegar, mix and add to the salad. Stir to coat, cover and refrigerate. If the dressing doesn't seem enough, mix a little more, making sure to use twice as much balsamic vinegar as oil.
- Serve with crusty bread and grilled meat or fish (this goes winderful with grilled salmon!).