Rice, butter, Parmesan... What's not to like?
This week we’re off to the fashion capital of the world - Milan - with a recipe for risotto alla Milanese.
Unsure about cooking risotto? Don’t be. This is the perfect recipe to start with as it's simple and requires so few ingredients.
This week’s album
For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver
This is Bon Iver's debut album. It was made and released after Vernon (the lead singer) retreated to his father’s hunting cabin in Wisconsin (in isolation) in an attempt to recover from the breakup of his previous band, the ending of a relationship, and a struggle with glandular fever. If he can produce this album in isolation, you can cook this week’s dish in semi-lockdown.
Going against the grain...
There are a number of ways risotto alla Milanese is traditionally done. We're going to ignore a few of them this week.
Firstly, this dish is typically served with ‘ossobucco’ (meaning ‘bone with a hole’), which is braised veal shin. We’re not gonna do that. Why?
1. Risotto is pure comfort food and such a pleasure to eat on its own.
2. We’re going to add butter and Parmesan to our dish - the amount of which can be altered to your desire (I recommend being generous). Both will give us a stunning rich and creamy finish.
Another thing that’s typical with this dish is to use beef stock to match the veal shin. No veal, no beef.
In any case, I prefer using chicken stock as it lightens up the dish. We made it this way when I worked at a restaurant in north Italy. All the chefs would then fight over the scraps left in the pan. I lost. Regularly.
Me - post-fight with Italian chefs.
Given we're using so few ingredients this week, it’s important to start with a really good stock. You want to find a liquid stock with a soft jelly consistency (when cold), rather than making one from a concentrate or cube. The concentrates and cubes contain a lot of salt and the flavour is somewhat artificial.
A proper stock with minimal salt content will help you control the flavour really well. Most supermarkets will sell one, but if you want to make your own then reply to this email and I’ll send you some info.
Another ingredient we’re using is saffron. It’s used in Italian cooking a lot, and for good reason. It’s full of flavour, delicate, and the colour is almost unbelievable.
This week I used a pretty dark stock to get maximum flavour, but if your stock is lighter in colour then your risotto will be a beautiful bright yellow. Threads, rather than powdered saffron, work best.
Saffron - the world's most expensive spice by weight.
What you need
The below serves 4 people.
It takes 10 mins to prep and 25 mins to cook.
350g risotto rice (Carnaroli, Vialone or Arborio)
2 litres chicken stock (best quality)
½ tsp saffron threads
100g butter (chilled and diced)
½ tbsp olive oil
30g shallot (finely diced)
100ml dry white wine
60g Parmesan (freshly grated)
Handful parsley leaves (roughly chopped)
Salt & black pepper
Good butter is a real bonus when doing risotto.
Ready, steady, cook
1. Put your stock in a pan and bring to a simmer.
In a separate heatproof bowl, add the saffron strands and pour over about 500ml of the hot stock. Cover the bowl and leave to stand for 5 minutes until the strands have softened and the colour has infused.
Once done, return that 500ml to the rest of your stock. Turn down the heat as low as possible but… It’s important the stock remains hot throughout this whole process. This allows it to cook the rice evenly.
2. Place a heavy-bottomed pan (for cooking the rice) on a medium heat. Add 40g of the butter and your olive oil. Then add the diced shallot and sweat slowly for about 6 minutes, stirring regularly. I prefer to use a spatula for this as it gives you more control.
When the shallot is soft and translucent, add the rice and turn the heat up slightly. At this stage we want to toast the rice but it’s important not to burn the shallot. Stir constantly for about 2 mins, or until the edges of the grains become translucent.
3. Pour in the wine (use something you’d be happy to drink the rest of) and stir well until it has evaporated. It should come to the boil quickly (taste after 90 seconds or so to see whether the alcohol has burnt off). Now add a generous pinch of sea salt (adding the salt before the wine can hinder how well the wine is absorbed).
4. Once the wine has evaporated, add a ladle of hot stock to the rice and stir regularly. Add enough to just cover the rice. Once the first ladle of stock has been absorbed, add another and repeat the process.
NOTE: It’s important to add the stock a little at a time so that we don’t end up just boiling the rice. Doing it like this ‘agitates’ the rice so it releases its starch. This is what makes for the gorgeous creamy texture at the end.
It’s also important to scrape down the sides of the pan with your spatula. This ensures all the rice is cooking together. Any grains left on the side would cook a lot more slowly and not be very pleasant if mixed in at the end.
5. Keep stirring as you add the stock and adjust the temperature as needed so your rice is simmering gently. About 16-20 mins after adding the first ladle of stock your rice should have a creamy texture and still be al dente.
As you go along, test some grains to see how they change in texture with the cooking. Just make sure you don’t cook for so long that your rice loses its bite. Check the seasoning levels as you go and add any salt you need (a lot will depend on how much salt is in your original stock).
6. Now remove the pan from the heat. The risotto should be fairly liquid at this stage, but the next step will thicken it slightly and bring it together.
Add in the diced butter and beat rigorously with the spatula or by tossing the pan. When fully incorporated, add in the grated Parmesan and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Beat again. It's important to do this off the heat so that the butter emulsifies into the sauce without splitting. Heating Parmesan too much also produces a grainy texture. Bad news.
Live action shot of me tossing the pan. Hopefully it gives you an idea of the consistency you're looking for.
7. Cover your pan with a tea towel and allow to rest for 2 mins. Stir through the chopped parsley. Serve. Eat. Good news.
NOTE: Quick Italian lesson… Risotto should be served all’onda, meaning ‘on the wave’. Your risotto should be wavy, fluid, and basically pourable (see above pic). It shouldn’t be stodgy, firm, or able to stand up on the plate.
Final thought
Another ingredient traditionally used for this dish is bone marrow. It’s delicious but can be difficult to find, hence why I’ve not included it. However, if you can find it, go for it.
In the meantime, enjoy your time in the kitchen.
Same time next week,
Fraser
Last week’s results
Painting a pretty picture?
Tag your dishes with #eatmywordslondon, or hit reply to this email with a photo.