flipRisotto alla milanese (saffron risotto)
Risotto alla milanese (saffron risotto)
Why this dish? Milan was Stendhal's adopted homeland. He spent his finest years there, frequented La Scala and Lombard high society, and wanted to be buried under the epitaph "Arrigo Beyle, Milanese." This golden risotto, glory of the Milanese table, is the dish of his Italian heart.
A creamy, pearly rice, bound grain by grain with broth and colored a golden yellow by saffron, finished with butter and grated cheese. Unctuous, fragrant, deeply comforting.
Ah, Milan! There I knew true happiness, the kind that prim France ignores. On Lombard tables shone this gold-colored rice, tinted with saffron like a prince's cloak. The broth is added ladle by ladle, little by little, stirring without pause — the Italian knows that pleasure must be earned with care. I ate platefuls of it coming out of La Scala, my soul still full of music; I swear no French dish ever made me so happy.
- •Lombard rice — one measure per guest (base)
- •Saffron threads — a pinch (color and flavor (signature))
- •Meat broth — as needed, very hot (cooking liquid)
- •Beef marrow — a piece (richness)
- •Butter — a good knob (final binding)
- •Grated cheese (grana) — a handful (umami)
- •Onion — one small (aromatic base)
Risotto alla milanese (saffron risotto)
A creamy, pearly rice, bound grain by grain with broth and colored a golden yellow by saffron, finished with butter and grated cheese. Unctuous, fragrant, deeply comforting.
Why this dish? Milan was Stendhal's adopted homeland. He spent his finest years there, frequented La Scala and Lombard high society, and wanted to be buried under the epitaph "Arrigo Beyle, Milanese." This golden risotto, glory of the Milanese table, is the dish of his Italian heart.
Ah, Milan! There I knew true happiness, the kind that prim France ignores. On Lombard tables shone this gold-colored rice, tinted with saffron like a prince's cloak. The broth is added ladle by ladle, little by little, stirring without pause — the Italian knows that pleasure must be earned with care. I ate platefuls of it coming out of La Scala, my soul still full of music; I swear no French dish ever made me so happy.
Ingredients (period version)
- Lombard rice — one measure per guest (base)
- Saffron threads — a pinch (color and flavor (signature))
- Meat broth — as needed, very hot (cooking liquid)
- Beef marrow — a piece (richness)
- Butter — a good knob (final binding)
- Grated cheese (grana) — a handful (umami)
- Onion — one small (aromatic base)
Ingredients
- Risotto rice (carnaroli or arborio) — 320 g (base)
- Saffron threads — 1 generous pinch (about 0.1 g) (color and flavor (signature))
- Beef or chicken broth — 1.2 L, very hot (cooking liquid)
- Beef marrow (optional) — 30 g (traditional richness)
- Butter — 60 g (final binding)
- Grated Parmesan (grana padano) — 60 g (umami)
- Onion — 1 small (aromatic base)
- Dry white wine — 1 glass (deglazing)
Method
- Infuse the saffron in a small ladle of hot broth.
- Sweat the finely chopped onion (and marrow) in a knob of butter, without browning.
- Add the rice and toast for 2 minutes, stirring, then deglaze with white wine.
- Add the hot broth ladle by ladle, stirring and waiting for each addition to be absorbed, about 18 minutes.
- Halfway through cooking, incorporate the saffron broth.
- Off the heat, vigorously bind (mantecatura) with cold butter and Parmesan; cover for 2 minutes and serve immediately, creamy and flowing.
How it was made : Saffron risotto is solidly attested in Milan at the beginning of the 19th century; a printed recipe appears as early as 1809. Beef marrow and meat broth made it a rich dish, worthy of grand tables. Legend has it that the saffron came from a painter of the Duomo's stained glass — a pretty story, without proof.
The contemporary twist : Plated in a ring, sprinkled with a few saffron threads and a Parmesan shaving — "the gold of La Scala".
Stendhal · Charactorium
