Risotto alla Milanese

Name: Risotto alla Milanese
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 32 min
Total time: 47 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 oz (55 g) beef marrow, pushed out of the bones, soaked 1 hour in salted cold water, drained and patted dry, then finely chopped into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces; 1 tsp (6 g) kosher salt, for the marrow soak; 5 cups (1200 ml) low-sodium chicken or light beef stock, divided: 1 cup (240 ml) for the saffron, 4 cups (960 ml) kept hot at a bare simmer; ½ tsp (0.4 g) saffron threads, lightly crushed between your fingers (about 40 threads); ¼ cup (40 g) yellow onion, very finely minced (about ¼ small onion); 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter, for cooking, at room temperature; 1½ cups (300 g) carnaroli rice, do not rinse; ½ cup (120 ml) dry white wine, at room temperature; 3 tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter, for finishing, cold, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) cubes; 1 cup (80 g) Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated, plus extra for serving; fine sea salt, to taste; black pepper, freshly ground, to taste (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Classic Milanese saffron risotto: creamy carnaroli rice scented with saffron, enriched with sautéed beef marrow, butter and Parmigiano Reggiano. Golden, silky and loose enough to flow in a wave (all'onda) on the plate.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 32 min
Wait: 1 hr 2 min
Total: 1 hr 49 min
Makes: 4 first-course servings (about 1½ cups / 330 g each)

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Ingredients

4 servings

2 oz (55 g) beef marrow, pushed out of the bones, soaked 1 hour in salted cold water, drained and patted dry, then finely chopped into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces
1 tsp (6 g) kosher salt, for the marrow soak
5 cups (1200 ml) low-sodium chicken or light beef stock, divided: 1 cup (240 ml) for the saffron, 4 cups (960 ml) kept hot at a bare simmer
½ tsp (0.4 g) saffron threads, lightly crushed between your fingers (about 40 threads)
¼ cup (40 g) yellow onion, very finely minced (about ¼ small onion)
2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter, for cooking, at room temperature
1½ cups (300 g) carnaroli rice, do not rinse
½ cup (120 ml) dry white wine, at room temperature
3 tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter, for finishing, cold, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) cubes
1 cup (80 g) Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated, plus extra for serving
fine sea salt, to taste
black pepper, freshly ground, to taste (optional)

Equipment (6)

Wide, heavy-bottomed 3-quart (3 L) saucepan or shallow Dutch oven
2-quart (2 L) saucepan for hot stock
Wooden spoon
Ladle (about ½ cup / 120 ml)
Small heatproof bowl for saffron
Fine grater or Microplane

Steps

Before you start

Start 1 hour ahead: the marrow soaks for 60 minutes, and the saffron steeps during that time.
Ask the butcher for beef marrow bones cut into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces, or buy extracted marrow. If using bones, run a small knife around the marrow and push it out.
Keep the stock hot at a bare simmer the whole time; cold stock stalls the rice and makes it gummy.
Grate the Parmigiano and cube the cold butter before you start; once the rice goes in you need to stay at the stove.

1
Soak the marrow
- Stir the 1 tsp (6 g) kosher salt into 2 cups (480 ml) cold water in a bowl.
- Add the marrow and refrigerate for 1 hour to draw out blood.
- Drain, pat dry, and chop into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces.
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Ready when: Marrow looks pale pink-white with no dark blood streaks
Tip: Do the saffron step during this hour so nothing is wasted.
2
Steep the saffron
- While the marrow soaks, warm 1 cup (240 ml) of the stock until steaming.
- Pour it over the crushed saffron in a small bowl and let it steep for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours; it overlaps with the marrow soak).
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Ready when: Liquid is a deep orange-gold
Tip: Crushing the threads first extracts far more color and aroma.
3
Heat the stock
- Pour the remaining 4 cups (960 ml) stock into the 2-quart saucepan.
- Bring to a bare simmer over low heat and keep it hot, with the lid ajar, for the whole recipe.
- Mince the onion and grate the Parmigiano while you wait.
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Ready when: Small bubbles at the edges and steam rising
Tip: Taste the stock; if it is already salty, go very lightly with salt later.
4
Cook onion and marrow
- In the 3-quart saucepan, melt the 2 tbsp (28 g) cooking butter over medium-low heat.
- Add the onion and chopped marrow and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent and the marrow has melted into the butter.
- Do not let the onion brown.
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Ready when: Onion is translucent and soft; marrow pieces have mostly dissolved
Tip: Browned onion would turn the golden risotto bitter and dull.
5
Toast the rice
- Raise the heat to medium.
- Add the rice and stir constantly for 2 minutes, coating every grain in fat, until the edges look translucent with a white dot in the center and the rice smells faintly nutty.
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Ready when: Grain edges translucent, hot to the touch, with a nutty smell
Tip: Don't rinse the rice; the surface starch is what makes risotto creamy.
6
Add the wine
- Pour in the wine; it will sizzle.
- Stir until it has been fully absorbed and the sharp alcohol smell is gone, about 2 minutes.
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Ready when: Pan looks almost dry and no longer smells of raw wine
7
Add stock gradually
- Add a ladleful (about ½ cup / 120 ml) of hot stock and stir often until nearly absorbed, then add another.
- Keep a steady, gentle bubble.
- After about 10 minutes, pour in the saffron stock (with threads) and continue ladling.
- Season with a pinch of salt once the saffron is in.
- Total cooking is 16–18 minutes from the first ladle; you may not need all the stock.
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Ready when: Rice is tender with a slight firmness at the center (al dente), the mixture is creamy and flows slowly when you drag a spoon across the pan
Tip: Taste a grain from minute 14 on. If the rice is still chalky, add another ladle of stock and keep cooking.
8
Beat in butter and cheese
- Remove the pan from the heat.
- While the risotto is still loose and slightly soupy, vigorously stir in the cold butter cubes, then the 1 cup (80 g) Parmigiano, for about 1 minute.
- Taste and adjust salt; add black pepper if you like.
- Cover and rest 2 minutes.
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Ready when: Glossy, creamy and flows in a gentle wave when the pan is tilted
Tip: If it is too thick, stir in a splash of hot stock; risotto should spread on the plate, not stand in a mound.
9
Serve at once
- Spoon into warm shallow bowls, tapping the bottom of each bowl so the risotto spreads out.
- Serve immediately with extra Parmigiano.
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Ready when: Risotto spreads into a soft, shimmering pool
Tip: Risotto firms up fast as it cools, so serve right away.

Good to know

Tips

Use a wide pan so the rice cooks in a thin layer and evenly.
Stir often but not frantically; steady gentle stirring releases starch without breaking the grains.
Always finish off the heat with cold butter and cheese (the mantecatura) for the creamiest texture.
Good saffron matters: look for deep red threads, not powder, and steep them in hot liquid.

Storage & reheating

Best eaten immediately. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 2 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of hot stock or water, stirring until creamy. Leftovers also make good arancini or crisp risotto al salto pancakes. Not recommended for freezing.

Substitutions

beef marrow → extra unsalted butter (1 tbsp / 14 g). Omit the marrow soak; the risotto will be slightly less rich and savory but still delicious.
carnaroli rice → vialone nano or arborio rice. Vialone nano is traditional too; arborio is a bit starchier and less forgiving, so check for doneness a minute earlier.
Parmigiano Reggiano → Grana Padano. Milder and slightly sweeter; use the same weight.
dry white wine → extra hot stock plus 1 tsp lemon juice. Use ½ cup (120 ml) stock for an alcohol-free version.