How Saffron Risotto is made in Italy

Risotto is a simple dish with just a few ingredients, and yet many people fail at making it. The perfect risotto can only be achieved with a lot of patience and instinct. Head chef Elvis Dollenga from the Milanese restaurant “Risoelatte” shows you all the tricks on how to prepare Risotto alla Milanese perfectly and how to achieve that special, creamy consistency. The special thing about Risotto alla Milanese: the saffron gives it its yellow hue. In the 16th century, one of the apprentices working on the stained glass windows of Milan Cathedral is said to have added saffron to the white rice to give it its special color. Today, Risotto alla Milanese is a classic of Italian cuisine. Italy is still the largest rice exporter in Europe. The rice is grown in the Po Valley, which is also known as the rice bowl of Europe. So it’s no wonder that the traditional Milanese dish is risotto. You need risotto rice (only this releases the starch during cooking and constant stirring to create the special creaminess), freshly cooked beef stock made from bones and vegetables, white wine, parmesan and butter. And of course: saffron.

Chapters

0:00 Intro
0:47 The Ingredients
1:18 Step 1: Sautéing
1:35 Step 2: The Rice
1:58 Step 3: The White Wine
2:17 Step 4: The Broth
2:41 On the Market
3:00 The Importance of Patience
3:20 Step 5: The Saffron
3:49 Step 6: Butter and Parmesan
4:25 The Quality Check

CREDITS:
Report: Andrea Horakh
Camera: Domenico Cannata
Edit: Monika Wenczel
Supervising Editors: Ruben Kalus

#food #risotto #italiankitchen

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The perfect Risotto Milanese is  creamy, golden yellow, and al dente. But what’s the secret to making it?  Elvis Dollenga shares his tricks. Risotto is the specialty of  Milan, in the north of Italy. Rather than pasta or pizza,  northern Italians swear by rice. The restaurant “Risoelatte” specializes  in risotto in all its variations.

Executive chef Elvis Dollenga has mastered  making the perfect Risotto Milanese. Saffron is a spice obtained  from a type of crocus flower,   and is the special ingredient of Risotto Milanese. And here we go with the first  crucial step: soffritto or sautéing. Dice the onions finely and sauté in  two tablespoons of butter. Then add…

Then comes Carnaroli, the king of risotto  rice, cultivated especially for risotto. Elvis sautés the rice until it’s  golden and slightly translucent. In the next step, he deglazes  the toasted rice with white wine.  And now the broth, made from meat and vegetables,  comes into play. This step calls for great care.

Elvis buys the ingredients for his perfect risotto   several times a week at a small open  market in Milan around the corner. He gets Parmesan or Pecorino, fresh produce,  and beef and soup bones from the butcher for the   broth. But mastering the art of risotto requires  one thing above all… and that’s patience.

The cooking process is nearing the end.  But the final touch is still to come. Now it’s time to taste. The risotto comes off the stove  for the last step. The grains of   rice are tender on the outside,  but firm to the bite: al dente.

Now for some more calories to enhance  the flavor: Plenty of butter and…: This is exactly how the perfect risotto should  look and move. “Allonda” – It makes waves. Making risotto takes about 30 minutes.  It’s enjoyed during the day or in the   evening and is traditionally served  as a first course. Buon appetito!