RDG
Senior Cook
urmaniac13 said:you must have a winning recipe for Risotto alla Milanese, don't you? I can make a nice one but I would love to see an authentic recipe from an authentic Milanese!!
Every your desire is a command for me….
Only, I don’t post the "true" recipe of risotto alla milanese, because it’s practically impossible to do: officially, you would have to do a broth with seven (?) kinds of meat….
For four persons:
Fry slightly in 40 gr. butter (not oil) an onion sliced very thin and about 100-150 grams of marrow. The onion must become transparent, not brown. In the same time, put 350 gr rice , and toast them for a couple of minutes, revolving it very often. After this, pour a glass of good white wine, and let it quickly evaporate.
A part, you had prepared a couple litres of meat broth (with cubes is ok). Now, you must add broth as soon as necessary, till rice is just covered, adding it many times in the same way till rice is well cooked (about 20 minutes).
Just at the last moment, add a couple of spoons of broth, if necessary, and (I don’t know the quantities you can find) one envelope of saffron every two persons. Switch off the fire.
Out of fire, add about 30 grams butter, mixing it. Be careful: the rice must remain, we say, "all’onda", like a wave, i.e. fluent, not dried.
Officially, you have to serve it with grated parmesan a part on the dish, and take a portion of rice on the fork, putting the point of fork on the cheese, so you can taste both flavours and tastes separately.
Don’t worry, it is good even if you mix them….
The best and more traditional dish to serve together is "marrowbones". I’ll put the recipe in a second time if you are interested in. It’s a dish you find only in Lombardia region, near Milano.
The difference between Risotto "alla milanese" and other recipes is in toasting. In other traditions, rice is not toasted: this process causes the rice skin to break, and allow it to absorb the condiments and flavours.
A little curiosity, if you like….Do you know why saffron has had so a big fortune, in the same way of paned food?
Since about 1300, in Italy there was the use to add thin gold leaves on the food (many international chefs do the same just now). Of course, for meals served for nobles and very rich people. Poor people were not able to have it on the table, so they tried to imitate the yellow of the gold with other materials. Saffron and paning.