Today I present to you the recipe for Creamy Saffron Risotto with servings for two. I will also reveal some tricks for perfect cooking to prepare the most well-known Italian first course. This Risotto alla Milanese is indeed the typical dish of Lombard cuisine, famous in Italy and around the world. With its countless variations, the Yellow Risotto (as many kids call it) has brought the color and flavor of the King of Spices worldwide, as Saffron has been called since ancient times. It’s also considered the Red Gold of the Earth, and it’s no coincidence that the price of this product doesn’t make it one of the cheapest spices. You should know that each flower yields only three stigmas or threads that must be hand-picked.
As for me, I purchased the saffron threads from the store L’Orto di Pietro in Porto San Giorgio, as I know they always have special products. In fact, they recommended this small jar of threads (seen in the photo), from the local company “Veri Saporiti”, which grows saffron and rigorously collects it by hand. Wonderfully intense color!
Having said this as an introduction to the Risotto alla Milanese recipe I’ll list 5 tricks for a perfect risotto! Take note, dear readers:
– Threads or Saffron Powder? Well, it depends on two factors: the first is surely the cost evaluation. There are jars of saffron threads that exceed 7 euros, while saffron powder is more affordable, never above 4 euros for three sachets. So identify your spending threshold first. Keep in mind that to make saffron risotto for two, you’ll need: 5 or 6 threads per person or 3 or 4 grams of powder. The ultimate trick, however, remains the proper infusion of the threads or the saffron powder. You should know that of the many recipes I’ve read, about 60% recommended infusing the threads the night before preparation. In others, 2 to 4 hours before. Obviously, the discussion changes for powder. What I can recommend is always a middle way. I opted for a 6-hour infusion for the threads in a glass with a trickle of room-temperature water just covering them. I stirred slightly and let it rest. As for the powder, I suggest dissolving it in a small cup of water, stirring well, and letting it rest for at least an hour.
– Vegetable Broth! If you’re not as lucky as I am to have a grandmother who is a fanatic about vegetable broth and produces it in industrial quantities, “dealing it like a pusher” to the whole family, I advise preparing it in advance. You need 500 ml of broth for saffron risotto for two. If you’re not in sync with the timing of making vegetable broth but have still decided to enjoy a good Risotto alla Milanese, buy ready-made broth. No one will judge you, especially because my grandmother, thankfully, doesn’t know how to access the web.
– Rice, my love! So here it could become a heavy and tedious discussion, everyone has their “favorite rice.” I don’t want to tell you which one to buy; I just want to make you understand that the choice of rice (make sure it’s Carnaroli Rice, I shouldn’t even have to write it) affects the successful outcome of the recipe. However, I can tell you that lately, I’ve been using a type of Rustic Carnaroli with rough processing, and I really like it.
– Temperatures! Here we play 50% of the dish’s creaminess. Why? Because, like in desserts, everything must be at the right temperature. The wine we will add should be at room temperature, while the broth should be constantly boiling. Note these two things because they are fundamental. If you want to make me happy, leave the butter at room temperature from the exact moment (even ten minutes before, no one will be offended) you start preparing the recipe.
– How to Cream the Risotto! Last but not least, the creaming of the risotto is the closing of the dish, the moment when you stop, turn off the heat, and pop a nice bottle of wine to enjoy with the Risotto alla Milanese you just prepared. So get some good butter and excellent grated cheese, a lid, and wait the necessary time. No rush, without grabbing the pan and starting to serve as if there’s no tomorrow.
Now that I’ve revealed the 5 tricks for a perfect risotto, I’d say it’s time to put into practice what we’ve learned. Let’s move on to the creamy saffron risotto recipe! I just want to remind you that you can follow all the blog’s social channels by choosing between the Facebook fan page Le Ricette di Bea or the Instagram profile of Le Ricette di Bea or the Pinterest board of Le Ricette di Bea. I’ll be waiting for you with lots of curiosities, recipes, and cooking content.
More risotto and rice cake recipes:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 6 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 745.40 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 86.78 (g) of which sugars 3.66 (g)
- Proteins 11.74 (g)
- Fat 37.34 (g) of which saturated 23.62 (g)of which unsaturated 13.05 (g)
- Fibers 1.61 (g)
- Sodium 1,410.83 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1 cup Carnaroli rice (in my case, rustic carnaroli)
- 10 saffron threads (or 4 grams of powder)
- Half white onion (finely chopped)
- 1.5 tbsp white wine (at room temperature)
- 5 tbsp butter
- 2 cups vegetable broth (homemade by grandma)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/3 cup cheese (grated)
Tools
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pot
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Glass
- 1 Teaspoon
- 1 Grater
- 1 Stovetop
Steps
We begin the preparation of the Risotto alla Milanese by infusing the saffron. If you’ve chosen threads, like I did, remember this step should be done at least 4 to 6 hours before. So, take a glass, pour in about ten threads, cover them with a trickle of room-temperature water and stir gently with a teaspoon. Let it rest for the indicated time. If you’ve opted for the more economical saffron powder, do this: take a coffee cup, pour in about 4 grams of powder, cover with a trickle of water and stir. Let it rest for at least an hour.
Once ready and the saffron has released its splendid color through infusion, we can proceed with cooking the risotto. On a wooden board, finely chop the half white onion with the help of a knife. Dice it into small pieces so it can melt easily during cooking. Take a pot and place it on the stovetop, melt half the butter amount indicated in the ingredients list. Add the onion and let it cook for a few minutes, then add some broth to prevent the soffritto from drying out too much. The onion should be soft and transparent. This step will take 10 to 15 minutes. Don’t worry if you add a few more ladles of broth, always gradually, the important thing is that the onion is covered by the liquid.
It’s time to toast the Carnaroli rice. So, pour the rice for two servings into the pot and toast it for about 5 minutes, this will allow the grains to seal themselves, keeping the best possible cooking. After this time, it’s time to add the room-temperature white wine. Also in this case, without haste, stir gently with a wooden spoon and let it evaporate. From this step onwards, the real cooking of the risotto begins. Calculate about 18 to 20 minutes; check the cooking time indicated on the package of rice you’ve chosen. Let’s proceed this way.
Vegetable broth always boiling, please. Another recommendation: constant temperature of the pot where we’ll cook the risotto. Don’t lower or raise the heat, set the flame to medium-low and maintain it throughout the rice cooking. Add a ladle of broth at a time to the pot with rice, which should always be covered by the broth during cooking. About 15 minutes into cooking, we’ll add the saffron, whether you’ve chosen threads or powder, pour the water into the rice. This will allow the risotto to take on the classic yellow color of saffron. Continue with a ladle of broth at a time and finish cooking for the remaining minutes.
Now relax, no rush. Turn off the heat, add a pinch of salt, grate the cheese and incorporate it while stirring in the remaining butter. After these steps, cover the pot with its lid and let the risotto rest for a few minutes. As I mentioned, open a bottle of wine or prepare the serving plates. After this small but crucial rest period, plate the risotto, place a few saffron threads as a colorful decoration if you like, and enjoy a good Risotto alla Milanese.
I’ll see you at the next recipe and wish you bon appétit!!!
Saffron Risotto Variations:
If you’re wondering what to add to saffron risotto, I’d say you’re even more indulgent than I am! I can suggest crispy bacon cubes cooked in another pan to make them crunchy. Or two nice slices of pancetta toasted in a pan and used as garnish. If you like zucchini, you can add them, or stick to the classic Risotto alla Milanese recipe which traditionally pairs with ossobuco.
