Risotto alla Milanese (Saffron Rice Milan Style)

 

 

A nice bowl of rice and crusty Tuscan bread – heaven on a cold winter or raining day.
Arborio rice has a very high starch content. As the rice is cooked, this starch is released
in the cooking liquid to create a rich, creamy dish that is absolutely delicious. Saffron
added to the rice turns it a deep yellow while adding a wonderful aromatic flavor. Bone
marrow is essential for a good risotto. Have the butcher saw the bone lengthwise to
facilitate access to the marrow. Bone marrow freezes well. Arborio rice is pearly white
plump fat grained rice named after the town of Arborio along the Po River of northern
Italy.

2 Arborio Rice (Carnaroli Rice1)
2 cup pinot grigio or another dry white wine
3 tablespoons of butter
2 cups of low salt veal, chicken, vegetable or beef stock
1inch of beef marrow
1 pinch saffron
1 medium-size white onion, diced
2 cloves chopped crushed garlic
Optional
Finely chopped slices of Prosciutto ham
¼ cup freshly shelled spring sautéed peas
¼ cup sliced sautéed mushrooms
1 tablespoon sweet butter
Finish with
3 tablespoons of butter or unfiltered extra virgin fruity olive oil
8 tablespoons of graded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Salt
White pepper
truffle oil.

In a separate pot, heat wine and chicken broth to a boil.
Wipe the bone of any saw chips. Dip the marrow briefly in boiling water for minute.
Chop the marrow. Brown the marrow in heavy sauce pan with in 3 tablespoons of butter,
and then add the onion. When the onion begins to clear but not brown, add the rice and
garlic. Stir until the rice is coated and shiny and has absorbed the fat. If using Prosciutto,
add it now. Add saffron, a pinch of salt and carefully pour in ½ cup of the boiling wine
mixture over rice. Stir the rice occasionally and cook on medium for 15 minutes adding
liquid judiciously as liquid is absorbed and as is needed. The finished rice should only be
slightly moist.

In the meantime, if adding mushrooms and peas, sauté them in some extra butter now.
They will be added last. Stop cooking when the peas are still a bit crunchy.
The rice is done when “al dente” – cooked through but still somewhat firm at the center.
Keep in mind the rice will continue to cook even when removed from heat so remove it
from the heat sooner than later. Stir in 3 tablespoons of butter and 6 tablespoons of
graded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and adjust the seasonings. The balance of the cheese
is for topping each bowl of rice. Drizzle with truffle oil.

Note:
1. Carnaroli rice comes from Novara and Vercelli Italy in the Piedmont region.
Carnaroli is considered one of the best Italian rices as it can absorb liquid for a
long time while remaining 'al dente'. Although less well known in the U.S. than
Arborio rice, Carnaroli is actually more highly valued by Italian chefs.

As Argentina has a lot of Italians the rice now is also grown in the Andes
mountains in the fertile valleys of central Argentina. See
 

Rice Suppli al Telefono (Fried Rice balls)

 

 

Suppli al Telefono are Roman fritters, rice balls with a cheese filling that strings out like
telephone wires when eaten. Practically every pizzeria, every osteria or trattoria either are
serving suppli or arancini. Arancini are the same thing except these are made with Risotto
alla Milanese (see recipe risotto_alla_milanese). In my youth, in Rome on cold
winter days, I would buy a few of these from street vendors hot from the oil and warm
my hands and have a great breakfast. The moisture level of the rice has to be such that the
balls form when pressed together. If you having trouble add a beated egg yolk to rice.
Mix well, refrigerate for a half an hour.

Preheat oven to 250 F for holding batches of the suppli to keep them warm.

Use a fry or a candy thermometer to insure you get the temperature right. The ingredients
should be allowed to reach room temperature.

Bunch of finely diced parsley
Bunch finely diced chives
3 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
3 cups leftover Risotto alla Romano (al dente) (see recipe)
4 ounces of mozzarella cheese cut into 3/8 inch cubes
2 cups dry bread crumbs made entirely from the crust of crusty Italian bread.
3 - 4 cups of canola oil

Preheat oil to 360F – 365F

 

Combine rice with parsley and chives. Beat eggs plus egg yolks in a separate bowl. Put

bread crumbs in a separate bowl. Make a few suppli at a time and then place them on a

plate until you have four or five ready to cook. Using your hands, form a small ball of

about 1 ½ tablespoon of the rice mixture with a cube of mozzarella cheese at the center.

The ball size is important because if these are too big, the outside is done before the

cheese in the center has time to melt. Roll the rice ball into a round ball. Dip ball into egg

mixture then into bread crumbs. When have made four or five, then fry them. The oil

should not cool too much when these are cooked hence the limit on how many can be

cooked at a time. 

If the suppli are not completely immersed in oil, then turn them with a slotted spoon as they cook. When suppli are dark golden brown, remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel covered platter in the oven to keep warm. Serve as soon as possible.

Fresh Baby Peas

 

 

 

Fresh Baby Peas

One of the vegetables that is of a very high grade when purchased frozen is petite peas
which are hard to find in the super market and have a limited availability in the fall.
C&W vegetables, Birds Eye or other fine vendors (not a generic brand) produce good
versions and this preparation, if careful, can duplicate the finest freshly shelled peas as if
from your own garden.

1 ½ pounds baby petite frozen peas
½ cup of sugar for water soak
6 tablespoons of unsalted butter melted butter
Pepper
Salt to correct the seasoning
2 teaspoons fine white sugar

Soak the frozen peas completely covered in a large quantity of cold water to which ½ cup
of sugar has been added for an hour. Do not stir. This allows the peas to come to room
temperature slowly and absorb a little of the sugar. It also insures a shorter more even
cooking period. Gently strain of all water and place peas in a glass microwave safe bowl.
Cover the bowl with a microwave safe plate and place in the center of the microwave.
Microwave the peas on high for two minutes. Stir very carefully and gently moving the
peas off the bottom of the bowl to the top. The key word is gently. Turn the microwave
on high for another two minutes. Let the peas rest one minute. Drain off any residual
water. Add melted butter, pepper, 2 teaspoons fine white sugar, and correct the seasoning
while carefully tossing the peas to coat them evenly. 

 

If the peas are done right, they pop with some resistance to the teeth when you bite into them else they may be over done. Delightful