Many years ago, my mother was reminiscing about a trip she and my father had taken to Italy. With dreamy eyes and a wistful tone (as only my dear mother could be wistful about food), she told me about one of her most memorable dining experiences there: eating osso bucco and risotto Milanese.
What she was describing was the classic dish of the northern region of Italy. Osso bucco is veal, specifically veal shanks cut horizontally across the bone and simmered in wine and chopped vegetables. And risotto is rice, but a very special rice called Arborio, usually made with broth, butter and Parmesan cheese. When slow-cooked on the stovetop, allowing the rice to release its starch, Arborio rice becomes silky and creamy.
My mother made this dish every now and then, most likely without a recipe. Being from the southern Italian island of Sicily, this was not a dish she would have learned to make from her own mother. I remember the meat being so tender that it fell off the bone. We had tiny spoons that we used to scoop the soft marrow from the shank bones. Even as a child, I thought this was delicious. Only in an Italian family!
But it is the risotto part of this dish that is increasing in popularity both in restaurants and home kitchens. Like pasta, risotto is a blank canvas that can be varied with the seasons or with whatever a resourceful cook has on hand. The different regions of Italy have their own risotto specialties that reflect popular local ingredients and traditions. In northern Italy, as noted above, the classic version is risotto alla Milanese, rich with butter, saffron and cheese. In the Veneto (Venice region), risotto is made with sweet springtime vegetables like baby peas or asparagus or mixed seafood fresh from the nearby sea. The natives of the Piedmont region make a hearty risotto with their prized local red wines, Barbera and Barolo, a perfect dish for a cool night.
Making risotto is not hard, although it does have the reputation as a dish that requires “slaving over a hot stove.” While some attention to its preparation is needed, such as as frequent stirring, risotto is a wonderful alternative to pasta that very much is worth trying. It is imperative that real Arborio rice be used, as well authentic Parmesan cheese and good quality chicken broth – if not using homemade. As with all Italian cooking, the quality of the ingredients is so important here. The recipe that follows is for basic risotto, a stepping stone for the many other variations that are out there.
Basic Risotto
- In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth to a simmer. Cover the pan and keep the broth warm over low heat.
- In a large heavy saucepan, like a Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter over medium heat.
- Add ¾ cup finely chopped sweet onion and sauté until golden in color.
- Add 1½ cups Arborio rice (can now be easily found at the grocery store) and stir to coat all the grains with the melted butter. If you can find saffron threads in the spice aisle of your store, add a pinch of them here.
- Pour ½ cup dry white wine into the pan and let it cook until it all but evaporates (several minutes).
- Now the fun part: Add about ½ cup of the simmering chicken broth to the rice and stir until almost completely absorbed. It is best to use a soup ladle for this process.
- Continue adding the broth, ½ cup at a time, stirring and letting each addition of broth be absorbed until adding more.
- When all the broth has been added, a ladle at a time, the rice will become very tender and creamy. Don’t rush the process or have the heat too high. The whole process should take about 20 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in another tablespoon of butter and about ½ cup of freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese. Serve immediately.
Risotto is a dish for all seasons. It is now early June, and the spring vegetables are here. Try adding some fresh baby peas or sliced asparagus to your risotto. If you like seafood, add some lump crab, cooked lobster chunks or calamari. Meat lovers might enjoy some cubed ham or bits of cooked lamb in their risotto. Fresh herbs go well with risotto, as does Marsala wine. Sautéed mushrooms and Italian sausage add heartiness to a winter risotto. Experimenting is part of the fun.
Well, I’m getting carried away and starting to sound like my mother. But I am excited for you to try making risotto, one of the all-time classics of Italian cuisine. You can do it!
