Risotto alla Milanese

Bring the broth to a bare simmer in a saucepan and keep it on the lowest heat for the whole cook; cold broth stops the rice cooking. Chop the onion very finely. Cut 60 g of the butter into small cubes and put them in the refrigerator. Grate the Parmigiano Reggiano. Crush the saffron threads between your fingers into a cup, pour over a ladle of the hot broth and leave it to steep for 10 minutes, until the liquid is a deep orange.

• onion80 g
• beef broth1.2 L
• saffron0.5 tsp
• Parmigiano Reggiano60 g

Melt 40 g of the butter in a wide, heavy pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring, until soft and translucent but not coloured. Add the rice and stir for about 2 minutes, until every grain is coated in butter, the edges look glassy and the rice smells lightly toasted. Do not rinse the rice beforehand: the surface starch is what makes the risotto creamy.

• butter40 g
• onion80 g
• risotto rice320 g

Pour in the wine and stir until it has been absorbed, about 1 minute. Add a ladle of hot broth and stir until it is almost absorbed, then add the next, keeping the rice at a steady, gentle bubble. After about 10 minutes, stir in the saffron and its liquid. Keep going for 16–18 minutes in all. Taste: the grains should be tender with a slight firmness at the centre, in a loose, creamy mass. Season with salt at the end, since the broth reduces.

• white wine100 mL
• beef broth1.2 L
• saffron0.5 tsp
• saltto taste

Take the pan off the heat. Add the cold butter cubes and the Parmigiano Reggiano, and beat them in vigorously with a wooden spoon for about 1 minute, until the risotto turns glossy and creamy. This step is called mantecatura. Add a splash of broth if it looks stiff, since it should be loose enough to ripple when the pan is tilted. Cover and rest for 2 minutes, then check the salt and serve at once.

• butter60 g
• Parmigiano Reggiano60 g