Rizoto alla milanese

For rizoto alla milanese, first prepare the base. Pour the vegetable stock into a smaller pot and keep it on the stove just below boiling point, so you can ladle it in hot a spoonful at a time.

Place the saffron threads in a small bowl, cover them with two ladles of hot stock and let them steep until they take on a deep golden colour.

Peel the onion and chop it into a very fine dice so it dissolves into the risotto and leaves no visible pieces.

In a wide pan or shallow pot, heat half of the butter with the olive oil and over moderate heat let the onion turn translucent, about 4-5 minutes, until it starts to sweeten. It must not brown.

Add the arborio rice and toast it for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the grains are coated in fat and the edges turn translucent, the so-called tostatura.

Pour in the white wine and stir until the alcohol has fully evaporated and the wine is absorbed into the rice.

Add the hot stock one ladle at a time, stirring the rice gently with a wooden spoon between each addition and waiting until the liquid has almost been absorbed before adding more.

After about 10 minutes pour in the dissolved saffron along with the stock it steeped in, and keep adding stock for another 8-10 minutes, until the rice is soft with a slight bite in the centre (al dente).

Take it off the heat, stir in the rest of the cold butter and the finely grated Parmesan. Mix thoroughly with a circular motion, which gives the risotto its creamy texture (the so-called mantecatura). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Let the risotto rest for 1-2 minutes under a lid so the flavours come together. Serve immediately on warmed plates, a proper risotto should flow rather than hold its shape (all'onda).