User:Kodawaru/Risotto alla milanese

Milanese risotto (ris sgiald or risot a la milanesa^[1] in Lombard language) is the most typical and well-known dish of Milan^[2Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name (see the help page).^], together with the Milanese cutlet and panettone. It is a risotto whose main ingredients, in addition to those needed to prepare a white risotto, are saffron, from which its characteristic yellow color derives, and ox marrow. It can also be served as a side dish for ossobuco, another typical Milanese dish.

History

Risotto probably has plebeian origins. Rice was, along with maize, the cereal of southern Lombardy that gave sustenance to the population. In soups it usually appeared with cabbage or turnips, or peas, beans, potatoes, exceptionally with bovine lung crumbs^[3].

The origins of the Milanese risotto date back to the Middle Ages and are linked to a similar recipe of Arab cuisine and Jewish cuisine^[4]. In the Middle Ages, in Italy, this dish was known as riso col zafran ^[4].

Milanese risotto was born in 1574 at the table of the Belgian glassmaker Valerio di Fiandra, who at the time resided in Milan because he was working on the stained-glass windows of the Milan Cathedral^[4].

For his daughter's wedding, his glassmakers colleagues had saffron butter added to a white risotto: this spice was in fact used by glassmakers to obtain a particular yellow color of the glass^[4]. The new dish was immediately successful, both for its flavor and for its yellow hue, reminiscent of gold, synonymous with wealth^[4]. Saffron also has recognized pharmacological properties and therefore the yellow risotto soon spread to Milanese taverns^[4].

Milanese risotto immediately disappeared from the news only to reappear in documents in 1809, when it was defined as "pan-fried yellow rice"^[4]. Later, in 1829, in another recipe book, the famous Milanese dish was defined "yellow Milanese risotto", taking the name by which it is still universally known today^[4].

Milanese risotto at the beginning of the 20th century

Milanese risotto was present in different versions in recipe books, which from the beginning of the twentieth century also began to be written by women, although they only contained the list of ingredients with no other indications on the doses or the cooking method. In 1917, the National Cookers' Association publishes Cucina di guerra^[4] which collects particularly economical and practical recipes by inserting the necessary doses in each recipe.

Exporting the recipe

In 1984, Gualtiero Marchesi wrote “gold and saffron”, one of the most famous interpretations which, in addition to specifying the quality of rice (Carnaroli), adds four very fine gold sheets just before serving the dish^[5].

In the early 1980s, risotto became the most popular dish in Italian restaurants in the United States of America, so much so that in 1993 Florence Fabricant, an American food critic and writer, published an article on risotto in the American newspaper Nation's Restaurant News, titling it Mystique of Risotto.

Awards

By resolution of the Municipal Council of the Municipality of Milan, on 14 December 2007, the following recipe received the recognition of the Milanese risotto (De.Co.). The acronym De.Co. in Italy it indicates the belonging of a dish to a territory and is recognized by the Municipalities for the gastronomic products most connected to the territory and the local community.

Recipe

Ingredients: for 6 people

30g of minced beef or ox marrow;
2-3 liters of restricted boiling broth: it must not be "cube";
two tablespoons of light and dark roast beef fat (if missing, increase the marrow up to 60 g);
a small finely chopped onion;
a tuft of saffron pistils or a sachet of saffron;
salt;
generous grated Parmesan cheese;
50g of butter.

Preparation

Put the marrow, butter, roast fat and onion in a bowl, cook over low heat until the onion has a golden color. Add the rice and mix it well so that it can absorb the seasoning. At this point, raise the heat and start pouring the boiling broth into ladles over the rice, continuing to stir regularly with a wooden spoon. As the broth evaporates and is absorbed, continue to cook over high heat, gradually adding more broth in ladle until cooked, making sure that the rice remains al dente (cooking from 14 to 18 minutes approximately, depending on the quality of rice used). When it is two thirds cooked, add the saffron pistils previously dissolved in the broth; if, however, saffron powder is used, it must be added at the end of cooking so as not to lose its aroma. When cooked, add the butter and parmesan and leave to stir for a few minutes. Season with salt. The risotto must be quite liquid, with the grains well divided, but linked together by a creamy whole. It is important to never add wine, which would cover the saffron scent. Do not cook more than 7/8 portions at a time.^[6

Note

1. ^ In grafia unificata NOL per la lingua lombarda.

2. ^ Ermanno Sogliani, La tradizione gastronomica italiana

3. ^ Bajini, S. Il cibo nella letteratura milanese.

4. ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Storia del risotto alla milanese, su www.mangiarebene.com. URL consultato il 14 marzo 2017 (archiviato dall'url originale il 23 febbraio 2017).