Today I got one of the most famous Italian dishes for you… and it’s not pizza. As you can see from the photos it’s Risotto alla Milanese. The delicious creamy rice dish that’s made with saffron. Many say that risotto is a bit complicated to prepare, but I can only disagree. An absolutely simple dish… just a bit time-consuming ;)

Well… risotto is actually not that time-consuming tbh. It does not need much longer to prepare than other dishes. That delicious meal should be ready on the table in less than 30 minutes. That’s not very long for a delicious dinner I’d say. The problem most people have with the dish is probably that you are, more or less, busy all of the 30 minutes and can’t rest for 10 minutes in between ;) If you cook some soup or a stew, for example, you can easily let everything simmer unattended for a certain time. Risotto, on the other hand, can’t leave alone because you have to basically stir all the time ;)
But that’s actually all there is to it. You have to stir the rice in the pot, again and again, add broth so the rice can absorb the liquid, and then stir again. That’s neither complicated nor difficult. Anyone can do it. I’m sure there are some rules that have been laid down by risotto experts over the years, but in my opinion, it’s nothing more than stirring and adding liquid. If you don’t set the temperature for the pot/pan too high, you really can’t do much wrong. All you got to do besides that is check if the rice is cooked well and “al dente”. That’s it. Really ;)

I really love this risotto, but I am also not the biggest fan of saffron. It works really well here and I also love other dishes like Paella con Pollo that are seasoned with saffron – but besides that – not a spice I use often, to be honest. I have to admit it gives those dishes a great color ;P
Anyway. This creamy rice dish works great as a main course, but can also be an appetizer, a second, smaller course, or simply a side for other dishes. Ossobuco, for example, is often served with risotto. If you like these kinds of recipes, I can publish one here as well. We like to make Ossobuco from time to time (sometimes with this risotto here) and it’s really delicious.
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
1 medium red onion
1/4 cup (60g) butter
13.2 oz. (375g) risotto rice*
1 tsp. saffron
5 fl. oz. (150ml) dry white wine
approx. 30 fl. oz. (900ml) beef broth
1.8 oz. (50g) grated parmesan
salt, pepper
some grated parmesan to serve
1 rote Zwiebel
60g Butter
375g Risottoreis*
1 TL Safran
150ml Weisswein (trocken)
ca. 900ml Rinderbrühe
50g geriebener Parmesan
Salz, Pfeffer
geriebener Parmesan zum Servieren

DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
2. Add the risotto rice and saffron and sauté briefly. Deglaze with the white wine and then simmer until the wine is completely absorbed/boiled away – keep stirring. Gradually add the vegetable broth and let it absorb/boil down again and again, not forgetting to stir. Here, unfortunately, you can’t let the stove out of your sight for long. The rice should simmer for about 18-20 minutes total. The risotto is perfect when it is creamy and the rice still has some bite to it.
3. When the rice is ready, stir in the grated parmesan and season with some salt and pepper. Depending on how strong your beef broth was, it often doesn’t take much more seasoning. Sprinkle with some more parmesan and serve.
Note: You can reheat leftover risotto without any problems – just add some more water to the rice and reheat slowly while stirring constantly.
2. Den Reis und den Safran dazugeben und kurz mit anrösten. Mit dem Weißwein ablöschen und dann so lange köcheln lassen, bis der Wein komplett aufgesogen/verkocht – dabei immer wieder rühren. Nach und nach die Gemüsebrühe dazugeben und immer wieder aufsaugen/einkochen lassen und dabei auch das Rühren nicht vergessen. Hier darf man den Herd leider nicht lange aus den Augen lassen. Der Reis sollte insgesamt etwa 18-20 Minuten köcheln. Das Risotto ist perfekt, wenn es cremig ist und der Reis noch etwas Biss hat.
3. Wenn der Reis so weit ist, den geriebenen Parmesan unterrühren und mit Salz und Pfeffer würzen – je nachdem, wie kräftig die Rinderbrühe war, braucht es da oft nicht mehr viel. Zum Servieren noch etwas Parmesan darüberstreuen und dann genießen.
Tipp: Man kann Risotto Reste ohne Probleme aufwärmen – dazu einfach nochmal etwas Wasser zum Reis dazugeben und unter ständigem Rühren erneut erwärmen.

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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Risotto alla Milanese (with Saffron)
- Prep Time: 00:30
- Cook Time: 00:25
- Total Time: 00:30
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italy
Description
A simple and delicious rice dish from Italy everyone knows – Risotto alla Milanese with Saffron. Much easier to prepare than you might think ;)
Ingredients
1 medium red onion
1/4 cup (60g) butter
13.2 oz. (375g) risotto rice*
1 tsp. saffron
5 fl. oz. (150ml) dry white wine
approx. 30 fl. oz. (900ml) beef broth
1.8 oz. (50g) grated parmesan
salt, pepper
some grated parmesan to serve
Instructions
1. Peel and finely dice the onion. Melt the butter in a large pot (we like to do it in a pan) and sauté the onion over medium heat until soft and glossy.
2. Add the risotto rice and saffron and sauté briefly. Deglaze with the white wine and then simmer until the wine is completely absorbed/boiled away – keep stirring. Gradually add the vegetable broth and let it absorb/boil down again and again, not forgetting to stir. Here, unfortunately, you can’t let the stove out of your sight for long. The rice should simmer for about 18-20 minutes total. The risotto is perfect when it is creamy and the rice still has some bite to it.
3. When the rice is ready, stir in the grated parmesan and season with some salt and pepper. Depending on how strong your beef broth was, it often doesn’t take much more seasoning. Sprinkle with some more parmesan and serve.
Notes
You can reheat leftover risotto without any problems – just add some more water to the rice and reheat slowly while stirring constantly.
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