Risotto alla milanese

Method

1. 1

   Heat the stock in a saucepan and keep it at a bare simmer next to the risotto pan.

2. 2

   Put the saffron in a small cup with a ladleful of the hot stock and leave it to steep.

3. 3

   Melt 40 g of the butter in a wide pan over medium-low heat and cook the onion gently until soft and translucent, not browned.

   6 min
4. 4

   Add the rice and stir until the grains are hot and look slightly translucent at the edges.

   2 min
5. 5

   Pour in the wine and stir until it has been absorbed and the sharp smell has gone.

   1 min
6. 6

   Add a ladle of hot stock and stir until it is almost all absorbed.

7. 7

   Keep adding stock a ladle at a time, stirring often and waiting until each addition is nearly absorbed before adding the next.

   10 min
8. 8

   Stir in the saffron with its liquid and carry on adding stock until the rice is tender with a slight bite in the centre.

   7 min
9. 9

   Take the pan off the heat while the risotto is still slightly soupy.

10. 10

    Add the remaining cold butter and the parmesan and beat hard with a wooden spoon until creamy and glossy.

11. 11

    Cover and rest for 2 minutes, then taste for salt.

    2 min
12. 12

    Serve at once on warm plates. It should spread slowly into a gentle wave rather than sit in a mound.