andrejthechef
ItalyRiceDinner

Risotto alla Milanese

Milan's golden risotto: Carnaroli rice toasted in butter and beef marrow, built with broth a ladle at a time, finished saffron-gold and all'onda.

prep
10 min
cook
30 min
total
40 min
serves
4
level
medium
Golden saffron risotto alla milanese with a soft, flowing consistency, finished with Parmigiano

Risotto alla milanese is built the way every good risotto is: rice toasted in fat until it smells nutty, white wine, then hot broth added a ladle at a time, stirred until each addition is absorbed. What makes it Milanese is the saffron, bloomed in warm broth and stirred in near the end, and traditionally a little beef bone marrow melted in with the butter at the start.

The texture has a name, all'onda, meaning it should move like a slow wave when you tilt the pan, not sit stiff like a mound of rice.

Risotto alla Milanese is one of the twenty most famous Italian foods.

method

  1. Melt half the butter with the marrow (if using) in a wide, heavy pan. Soften the shallot without browning it.

  2. Add the rice and toast, stirring, for 2 minutes until it smells nutty and the grains look translucent at the edges.

  3. Pour in the wine and let it evaporate almost completely.

  4. Add the hot stock a ladle at a time, stirring often and waiting for each addition to be mostly absorbed before adding the next. This takes 18 to 20 minutes.

  5. Stir in the bloomed saffron and its liquid about 5 minutes before the rice is done.

  6. Off the heat, beat in the remaining butter and the Parmigiano until the risotto moves in a slow wave when the pan is tilted.

  7. Season to taste and serve immediately in warmed bowls.

chef's tips

  • Keep the stock simmering, not cold; cold stock stops the cooking and the risotto turns gluey.
  • All'onda is the texture to aim for: loose enough to spread on its own when plated, never a stiff mound.
  • No marrow on hand: extra butter gets you most of the way there.