Asha's Risotto alla Milanese

Recipe by

Asha Loupy

Serves

Difficulty

Intermediate

Photo by:

Asha Loupy

Risotto alla Milanese—a classic Italian rice dish from Lombardy—is beloved for good reason. The ingredient list is short but impactful, with saffron bringing both dreamy aroma and its sunny, golden hue. My friend Rolando Beramendi, author of Autentico: Cooking Italian, the Authentic Way, taught me the trick to making risotto extra creamy: finish with a couple pats of cold butter and a handful of Parmigiano-Reggiano, then stir vigorously to emulsify the fat with the starches from the rice.

While this risotto is sheer perfection in its saffron simplicity, it is also a great canvas for different proteins—like osso bucco (wine-braised veal shanks) or seared scallops—or seasonal veggie mix-ins or toppings. Try folding in cubes of roasted squash at the end (or top with wedges of deeply roasted winter squash for a more dramatic presentation). Other fun vegetable toppings include blistered asparagus spears, sautéed mushrooms, and roasted leeks.

Ingredients

1 pinch (20 to 25 threads) Kashmiri Saffron
5 tablespoons (71g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
2 medium shallots, minced
½ teaspoon Surya Salt
1¼ cups (225g) arborio or carnaroli rice
⅔ cup (156ml) dry white wine
4 to 5 cups (1 to 1.2 liters) homemade or good-quality chicken or vegetable stock
½ cup (25g) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Freshly ground Aranya White Pepper, to taste

Methods

Place the saffron in a small bowl with an ice cube and let sit at room temperature until melted, 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold water very briefly (you don't want the water to run clear like when you're making a pot of rice), then gently shake the strainer to remove as much excess water as possible. Set aside.
Place the stock in a medium saucepan, cover, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, keep covered to keep warm.
To start the risotto base, melt the 3 tablespoons (42g) butter (keep the remaining 2 tablespoons chilled in the fridge) in a Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots soften and turn translucent, but don’t take on any color, 4 to 7 minutes. Stir in the reserved drained rice, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring frequently, until all the water has evaporated and the edges of the grains of rice start to turn translucent but the center is still opaque, 2 to 4 minutes.
Add the white wine and the steeped saffron, including all of the liquid, into the rice, and cook, stirring frequently, until most of the wine has been absorbed by the rice, 1 to 3 minutes. Then, reduce the heat to the low end of medium, add 2 ladles of the hot stock, and cook, stirring frequently, until the stock has been about three-quarters absorbed. Then, add another ladle of stock and repeat the process until the rice is al dente and the texture is loose and spoonable, 23 to 30 minutes. (If you start to run low on stock, you can top off the pot with hot water.)
Turn off the heat, add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and the remaining 2 tablespoons (29g) butter, then stir vigorously, shaking the pan (this will result in a creamier risotto). Taste and season with white pepper and more salt, to taste. (If you are adding any mix-ins, like roasted squash, this is the time to fold it in now.)
To serve, ladle into individual shallow bowls and finely grate a little more Parmigiano-Reggiano over the top, if desired. Enjoy immediately.

This Recipe Features

Asha's Risotto alla Milanese

Recipe by

Asha Loupy

Serves

4 people

Difficulty

Intermediate

Ingredients

1 pinch (20 to 25 threads) Kashmiri Saffron
5 tablespoons (71g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
2 medium shallots, minced
½ teaspoon Surya Salt
1¼ cups (225g) arborio or carnaroli rice
⅔ cup (156ml) dry white wine
4 to 5 cups (1 to 1.2 liters) homemade or good-quality chicken or vegetable stock
½ cup (25g) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Freshly ground Aranya White Pepper, to taste

Methods

Place the saffron in a small bowl with an ice cube and let sit at room temperature until melted, 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold water very briefly (you don't want the water to run clear like when you're making a pot of rice), then gently shake the strainer to remove as much excess water as possible. Set aside.
Place the stock in a medium saucepan, cover, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, keep covered to keep warm.
To start the risotto base, melt the 3 tablespoons (42g) butter (keep the remaining 2 tablespoons chilled in the fridge) in a Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots soften and turn translucent, but don’t take on any color, 4 to 7 minutes. Stir in the reserved drained rice, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring frequently, until all the water has evaporated and the edges of the grains of rice start to turn translucent but the center is still opaque, 2 to 4 minutes.
Add the white wine and the steeped saffron, including all of the liquid, into the rice, and cook, stirring frequently, until most of the wine has been absorbed by the rice, 1 to 3 minutes. Then, reduce the heat to the low end of medium, add 2 ladles of the hot stock, and cook, stirring frequently, until the stock has been about three-quarters absorbed. Then, add another ladle of stock and repeat the process until the rice is al dente and the texture is loose and spoonable, 23 to 30 minutes. (If you start to run low on stock, you can top off the pot with hot water.)
Turn off the heat, add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and the remaining 2 tablespoons (29g) butter, then stir vigorously, shaking the pan (this will result in a creamier risotto). Taste and season with white pepper and more salt, to taste. (If you are adding any mix-ins, like roasted squash, this is the time to fold it in now.)
To serve, ladle into individual shallow bowls and finely grate a little more Parmigiano-Reggiano over the top, if desired. Enjoy immediately.