Crispy rice is a dish from the Lombardy tradition. In Rome, they invented supplì to use leftover rice, while in the north, they cleverly transformed saffron risotto into this delicacy. Here are the tricks, tips, and secrets to make it perfectly at home!
If you love Milanese cuisine, don’t forget to read the recipe
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 2 Minutes
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, and Spring
- Energy 922.75 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 160.04 (g) of which sugars 0.38 (g)
- Proteins 22.84 (g)
- Fat 18.87 (g) of which saturated 12.00 (g)of which unsaturated 6.68 (g)
- Fibers 2.60 (g)
- Sodium 573.46 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 200 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 for 2 people
- 2 cups rice (with saffron)
- 1.76 oz Grana Padano DOP
- 0.88 oz butter
- to taste salt
Tools
- 1 Pan non-stick, 8 inches
- 1 Spatula silicone
Procedure
To make a good saffron risotto, you can follow the directions found here. However, make sure to leave the risotto dry rather than creamy, so avoid finishing it with butter.
Let the saffron rice rest, add the cheese, and let it rest in a container that you will cool in the refrigerator for a few hours (better if until the next day).
Place the pan on medium-high heat with half the butter, when it melts and begins to sizzle, add half of the rice.
For the best result, the pan should have high sides and the diameter you want to give to the crispy rice.
Now you need a lot of patience and wait; this is the true secret of crispy rice. At first, the rice will release water inside, which will seem to make the butter increase in volume, almost surrounding the rice.
Don’t worry, keep the flame lively and continue to cook the rice; you’ll see the water start to reduce and the rice begin to dry.
After about 5 minutes, you’ll detect a sweet, toasted aroma; the first side is almost ready! Check that it’s golden and that a crust has formed (about 7 minutes) and prepare to flip the crispy rice.
Here’s the most challenging part of the entire process, we need to flip the crispy rice, you have 2 options:
– if you’re daring, you can flip it in the air like a crepe… it looks easy… but it’s not!
– if you’re good with an omelet, you can use a plate as a lid for the pan and use it to flip the crispy rice. In this case, use a very flat plate; it will make it easier to adhere to the pan without breaking the crispy rice. Once on the plate, gently slide it back into the pan. Be careful not to burn yourself with the hot pan.
The first few times, your crispy rice might break, don’t worry, it’s still delicious, and with the cooking of the second side, you have the opportunity to recompact any broken parts.
Cook like the first side (5-7 minutes) so that the rice dries on the other side and a crust forms.
The cooking time depends greatly on the risotto and the amount of water it contains. When the water evaporates, the rice solidifies, becoming crispy.
I like it with a nice thickness, flattening the crispy rice speeds up cooking, but the final result is dry and thin. I prefer it with a thickness of at least 1 inch.
To check if cooking is complete, slightly lift the rice and check the browning.
If you need to prepare many portions, you can cook all the portions in the pan. To serve crispy crispy rice, you can cook it in advance and heat it in the oven at 150°F for 5 minutes.
Your crispy rice is ready!
Plating Tips:
This is a dish to be served hot and crispy in individual servings; each guest deserves their crispy rice. I won’t add anything else because it’s already seasoned and flavorful with cheese and butter frying.
What Wine to Pair with Crispy Rice:
An aromatic white wine with a savory taste that can enhance the flavor of red cabbage, such as the Müller Thurgau from Alto Adige, which combines notes of nutmeg, apple, and hazelnut.
