Saffron and licorice risotto, or rather, fragrant saffron pistils. I must admit that I love risottos, so I’m biased in saying it’s special; in fact, I even love plain rice… a clinic thing! I’ve heard about this recipe in my family, and immediately my curiosity was piqued as if a light bulb had turned on, I must try it immediately. So, having acquired all the main ingredients, I got to work. For rice, I used Carnaroli from the “superfino” group, one of the most known and used varieties in cooking. Italy is the largest European producer of rice, with many plantations concentrated in Piedmont and Lombardy. The numerous varieties can be categorized into 4 large categories that naturally take into account the characteristics of the grain depending on the length, consistency, and shape, which are:
Common or Originario.
Semifino.
Fino.
Superfino.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 567.26 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 74.93 (g) of which sugars 2.13 (g)
- Proteins 13.39 (g)
- Fat 20.41 (g) of which saturated 7.15 (g)of which unsaturated 3.13 (g)
- Fibers 1.66 (g)
- Sodium 496.17 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 180 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 to prepare saffron and licorice risotto
- 12.4 oz Carnaroli rice
- 0.02 oz saffron pistils
- 0.07 oz licorice
- Half white onion
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 0.07 oz black pepper
- 3.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2.8 oz grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 glass dry white wine
- 0.35 oz butter
Tools
- Pot
- Mortar
- Frying pan
- Small bowl
- Mandoline
Preparation of saffron and licorice risotto
Use the mortar to grind the saffron pistils into powder, and immediately after cleaning it with a dry cloth, grind the licorice in the same.
Peel and slice the onion with the mandoline. Pour the oil into a pan and gently sauté it.
Together with the first ladle of boiling broth, add the one with the saffron. Stir continuously and add broth as needed to prevent the risotto from drying out.
A knob of butter will suffice at the end of cooking, about 18 minutes, along with a grind of freshly ground black pepper and some Parmesan to stir in the saffron and licorice risotto off the heat.
When serving the dishes, sprinkle the licorice powder on top.
Saffron and Licorice Risotto ready!
FOLLOW ME
FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM
ALTERNATIVE
Of course, anyone who can’t find saffron pistils at the moment can easily use two sachets of the powdered version readily available on the market. The same applies to licorice, which you can find in powder form at herbalists; 2 grams will be enough.
Vegetable Broth
Prepare a vegetable broth with one liter of water, an onion, a stalk of celery, and two medium carrots. Boil over low heat for half an hour. It is ready when it has reduced by half.
Can I use powdered saffron for the risotto?
You can also use powdered saffron to prepare saffron and licorice risotto
