What is Risotto alla Milanese?

Saffron risotto is known as Risotto alla Milanese in Italy. It’s a classic Italian popular rice dish that originated in Milan, Lombardy region of Northern Italy. A region that’s home to the delicious cotoletta alla Milanese and iconic cheese varieties, including one of my favourites: gorgonzola. 

This creamy risotto is flavoured with saffron, which also gives it that distinctive golden colour and delicate floral aroma. In 30 minutes, you can master how to achieve perfectly al dente rice, create a naturally creamy texture without cream, and avoid the most common risotto mistakes. 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe 

You will most likely love this authentic saffron risotto recipe because its:

• Simple and follows traditional Italian techniques 
• Easy to make for beginners. 
• Naturally creamy without cream
• Ready in about 30 minutes
• Perfect as a main course or side dish
• Great for turning into arancini

Through the countless risotto batches I’ve made over the years, I’ve learned that making risotto isn’t about splurging on the most expensive ingredients or white wine. It’s about following simple time-honoured techniques and patience. 

Saffron risotto has remained a family favourite in my home for years, with the kids loving it too. I often make it as a comfort food for cold winter dinners, when we want something comforting but not too heavy. Though I still find myself enjoying forkfuls during summer or spring. Could that be you too?

And for the rest of my food lovers/enthusiasts, saffron risotto is a good addition to a lunch/dinner with more than one course. Because it is not loaded with intense flavors, but mild enough to make room for any other meat/fish courses.

Alternatively, you can opt for this saffron risotto recipe as a standalone main course for its simplicity and how filling it is without making you feel like you detoured too far down the ‘unclean eating path’.

Once you have mastered how to make saffron risotto, you can move on to adding in your favorite veggies, or better yet, make arancini.

“Saffron risotto is a simple, elegant dish made with al dente rice grains held together by a humble, rich, and creamy stock. The risotto doesn’t need to try hard, if at all, to please- it just is.…” 

What Makes Risotto Creamy?

Risotto gets its signature creamy texture from starch slowly released by high-starch rice like Carnaroli and Arborio, combined with the Italian finishing technique known as mantecatura. The technique involves adding cold butter and Parmigiano Reggiano to the rice once off the heat. 

What Does All’Donda Mean?

Italians describe perfectly cooked risotto as all’donda, which means “like a wave”. Once cooked, when the pan is shaken, the risotto should move in soft waves rather than sitting stiffly or spreading like soup. That texture is what is considered the hallmark of a well-made risotto.

Saffron Risotto Ingredients

Best Rice for Saffron Risotto

The best rice for saffron risotto is Carnaroli. This short-grain rice is the one preferred by many Italian chefs because of its high starch levels, which create the risotto’s signature creamy texture. 

If you do not have carnaroli, you can substitute it with arborio or vialone nano rice, which are also short-grain rice varieties used in risotto recipes.

Why is Saffron Used in Risotto?

Saffron is used in this risotto recipe because it gives risotto alla milanese its golden colour and delicate flavour. 

Which Cheese Should be Used for Saffron Risotto

To recreate the authentic saffron risotto, you should use Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Step-by-Step Guide to Making Saffron Risotto

Step 1. Finely dice the onion- you do not need much, no more than 1 1/2 tbsp. Dissolve the saffron into the wine and bring the vegetable stock to a boil before getting it to simmer. It needs to remain hot so as not to lower the temperature of the rice when you add to it.

Step 2: Heat a heavy-bottomed, non-stick pan, add in the oil, then toss in the onions to sauté until soft and translucent. It’s crucial that the onions sauté long enough to lose their pungent smell, but not long enough for them to start browning. Why? Because one of the things that can destroy a dish is being able to taste and smell onions that have not been properly cooked through before other ingredients were added. I learned this the hard way.

The other reason is that when the onions have been sautéed, the next step is to add the rice to ‘toast’. And since this needs time, it may happen that the onions start to slightly brown.

So the last thing you need is to already have them browning before the toasting begins. I stop toasting the rice when I can smell the scent of the toasted rice. However, if the rice and onions are starting to brown, then I quickly move on to the next step.

Step 3: Pour in the saffron-wine and swirl the pan to ensure all the grains are coated in it. After it has dissolved, increase the heat to high and proceed to add a ladleful of stock at a time as you patiently stir. 

I add salt and the Parmesan/Parmigiano rind to simmer with the rice. Taste the rice after it has been cooking for at least 20 minutes. Thereafter, reduce how much stock you add to the rice. When it is ready, take it off the heat and proceed to ‘cream it up’ with the following steps.

Common Saffron Risotto Mistakes to Avoid

Washing the Rice

Washing the risotto rice before cooking removes the starch that is needed for creaminess.

Adding Cold Stock

Adding cold stock lowers the temperature of the rice and interrupts the cooking process, which can lead to unevenly cooked grains.

Adding Too Much Stock at Once

While it may seem like a shortcut, this common mistake results in the rice releasing less starch, resulting in a thinner, less creamy risotto that lacks the rich texture obtained through traditional Italian technique. 

Overcooking the Rice

Risotto should remain slightly firm in the centre when served, unlike other rice dishes. 

How to Make Saffron Risotto Creamy – Expert Tips and Tricks

Contrary to some recipes, Italians actually do not put cream in risotto. The secret to creamy risotto lies not only in the ingredients but also in the technique and a final step known as mantecatura:

Choose a high-starch rice: not every rice is made equal so go for the short-grain varieties for risotto- specifically carnaroli if you can find it. This is because it’s high in starch levels which is needed to create the creaminess we all love. Which is also another reason why you should avoid washing the rice before cooking.

Gradually add hot stock: this allows the rice to slowly release starch

Should you stir risotto constantly?: No, seasoned home cooks and Modern Italian chefs will generally recommend stirring regularly, instead of continuously. Excessive stirring can break the rice grains with a heavy risotto, while frequent stirring helps release starch and create a creamy texture.

Add a little more stock: do this right before you take the risotto off the fire to mix in the cheese and butter. How much stock you add will depend on how much is left in the rice. If the rice has soaked in all the stock, I suggest adding 3/4 ladleful. Then see if you would like to add a little more.

Parmigiano Reggiano rind: The rice can only do so much, even with a high amount of starch. And that’s where the ‘bucketload’ of cheese and the rind comes into play. 

I cook the rice with a few blocks of Parmigiano rind. Then I take them out right before the final step. 

Cold butter and parmigiano: with enough stock still leftover with the risotto – remove the risotto off the heat then toss in cold butter and parmigiano. You don’t need a lot of butter, just about 25g of unsalted butter for 210g of rice.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you miraculously managed to have leftovers, let them cool completely, then use it to make arancini. Either keep it simple and only tuck some mozzarella inside. Or, make a saffron risotto spinach arancini by mixing the rice with a small portion of steamed, water-squeezed-out, and finely chopped blanched spinach.

Wine pairing? Crisp white wine

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