Prepare a Creamy Risotto alla Milanese

No matter where you are in the world, it's likely there's a native rice dish with a golden hue. In Latin America it's known as Arroz Amarillo, in India as Kesar Chawal, and Indonesia as Nasi Kuning.

Whether these all originated in one place or were developed independently is fodder for debate, but gold has long been a color symbolizing prosperity in many cultures (for obvious reasons). That's why it's not surprising that people figured out rice could be colored gold by adding ingredients such as saffron, turmeric or annatto.

Today I'm sharing an ochre-hued Milanese style risotto, which has the flavor to back up the intense color. It starts off like any other risotto, with shallots and rice sautéed in butter, followed by the addition of a little wine. Where it diverges, is the large quantity of saffron in the stock that gets stirred in. Although saffron is red in color, it imbues any liquid it's steeped in with a rich golden yellow hue.

Finished off with a generous sprinkling of Parmigiano Reggiano, this Risotto alla Milanese is rich, creamy and deeply satisfying. One thing you should know is that the original is made with lard and beef stock. I make it with chicken or vegetable stock, because I usually pair it with Osso Buco, so it gets plenty of fatty beef flavor from the sauce and marrow.