78 RISOTTO ALLA MILANESE I
( R I C E MILANESE STYLE I )
500 grams (about 1 pounds) of rice
80 grams (about 2-3/4 ounces) of butter
saffron, as much as will turn the risotto a bright yellow
1/2 of a medium-sized onion
For cooking instructions, follow recipe 75*, keeping in mind that this
risotto will be more substantial and flavorful if cooked in broth. If you happen to have a bronze mortar and pestle, you can buy unrefined saffron, grind it finely yourself and then dissolve the powder in a drop of hot broth before adding it to the rice, which you will
send to the table with Parmesan cheese on the side. Saffron is a
stimulant; it whets the appetite and promotes digestion.
These amounts serve five people.

79 RISOTTO ALLA MILANESE II
( R I C E MILANESE STYLE I I )
This risotto is more complicated and heavier to digest than the preceding
one, but it is more flavorful.
These amounts serve five people:
500 grams (about 1 pound) of rice
80 grams (about 2-2/3 ounces) of butter
40 grams (about 1-1/3 ounces) of beef marrow
1/2 of an onion
2 deciliters (about 4/5 of a cup) of good white wine
saffron as needed
Parmesan cheese as needed
Mince the onion and put it on the fire with the marrow and half the
butter. When sufficiently browned, pour in the rice and, after a few
minutes, add the wine, then cook with the broth. Before removing
from the fire, season with the rest of the butter and the Parmesan
cheese. Send to the table with more Parmesan cheese on the side.

80 RISOTTO ALLA MILANESE I I I
( R I C E MILANESE STYLE I I I )
Now you can choose! Here is yet another way to prepare Milanesestyle
risotto, but without the pretense of taking over from the chefs of
Milan, who are very learned and creative when it comes to this dish.
300 grams (about 10-1/2 ounces) of rice
50 gram (about 1-2/3 ounces) of butter

1/4 of a medium-sized onion
2 deciliters (about 4/5 of a cup) of Marsala wine
saffron as needed
Brown the onion, finely chopped, with half the butter. Add the rice,
and after a few minutes the Marsala. Add broth and simmer until
cooked. Then add the rest of the butter and the saffron dissolved in
a. bit of the broth. Lastly, toss in a handful of Parmesan.
Serves three people.

* Rice, as I have indicated earlier, should not be washed; it is enough
to clean it and rub it in a kitchen towel.
Mince the onion very finely with a mezzaluna and put it on the
fire with half the butter. When it has turned golden brown, add the
rice, stirring constantly with a large spoon until it has absorbed all
the butter. Then start adding hot water ladleful at a time. Make sure
the rice does not boil too fast, otherwise it will remain hard in the
center while becoming too soft on the outside. Salt and cook until
dry, then add the rest of the butter.