Risotto Milanese

Before it gets to warm out and I would rather eat a salad than Risotto, I made this classic dish from Milan. Came out great.
Making risotto is all about technique and there are several techniques you can use. I always use the constant stir method adding small amounts of broth as the rice cooks. Another important step is to "toast" the rice a bit in the olive oil and onions before adding the first incorporation of broth. I use chicken broth but you can also use beef, vegetable broth or a combination of broths. Here we go.

You will need:

4 cups of chicken broth
1 1/4 cup of Arborio or Carnaroli rice (I prefer Carnaroli)
1/2 cup of finely diced onion
1/2 cup of white wine
1/2 cup of heavy cream
2 Tablespoons of finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 teaspoon of saffron threads- chopped
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan Cheese ( Reggiano parmigano)
4 tablespoons of butter
Olive oil


METHOD
Keep the broth at a simmer next to the the pan for the risotto Use a heavy bottom saute pan over a medium heat to make the risotto. Melt a couple Tablespoons of butter along with a Tablespoon of olive oil, add the onions and cook until soft without browning. Add the rice and stir for several minutes to toast the rice. Add a ladel full of broth and continue to stir until almost all the liquid has been absorbed. The next incorporation of liquid is half of the wine. Add the saffron. You will notice that the threads will dissolve as you continue to cook the rice. Continue the method of adding the broth a little at a time, while constantly stirring as you go. You will be able to see a little "wave" appear as you stir the rice and broth. If you add to much liquid in one incorporation you will not see the wave. Add the rest of the wine before the last incorporation of broth. Taste for doneness. The rice should still be firm after you have used almost all of the liquid. (you may still have some broth left when the rice has reached the "al Dente" state. Now off heat stir in the butter and cream. Stir for several minutes and then add the Parm cheese and stir some more. Feel free to adjust the amount of cream. Sprinkle in the parsley. SERVE IMMEDIATELY.




Of course there are about a million variations, but this recipe is the standard classic. Feel free to add just about anything you can think of. Some other favorites are mushrooms, asparagus, prosciutto, shrimp, use your imagination or what you have available in the fridge. When using mushrooms I use a combination of beef and chicken broth and also use red wine not white. Soak some dried mushrooms in water and incorporate the soaking juice.

I made a Lamb Chop to go with it.