Risotto Alla Milanese

Risotto alla Milanese is a classic Italian dish with the distinctive taste of saffron. Here's a simple recipe for Risotto alla Milanese:

Ingredients:

• 300 grams Arborio rice (or another risotto rice)
• 1 liter chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 60 grams of butter
• 100 ml dry white wine
• A good pinch of saffron threads (or a bag of saffron powder)
• 50 grams of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Olive oil

Instructions:

1. Preparing the saffron: Soak the saffron threads in a little hot broth (about 2 tablespoons) for 10 minutes, so that they release their color and flavor. If you are using saffron powder, you can skip this step.
2. Preparing rice: In a large pan, heat some olive oil over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and fry until soft and translucent.
3. Add rice: Add the rice to the pan and stir well so that the rice grains are coated with the oil and onion. Fry the rice for a few minutes until the grains are translucent.
4. Add wine: Pour in the white wine and keep stirring until the wine is almost completely absorbed by the rice.
5. Add broth: Start adding the stock, one ladleful at a time, stirring constantly. Wait to add the next spoonful of broth until the previous one is almost completely absorbed. This process causes the rice to release its starch, which gives the risotto its creamy texture.
6. Add saffron: After adding about half the stock, add the saffron mixture (or saffron powder) to the pan.
7. Continue cooking: Keep adding stock and stirring until the rice is cooked but still a little 'al dente' (so with a little bite). This will take about 18-20 minutes in total.
8. Finish: Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Let the risotto rest for a few minutes with the lid on the pan so that it becomes nicely creamy.

Serve the Risotto alla Milanese warm and garnish with some extra Parmesan cheese if desired. Buon appetito!