Risotto with Saffron and Ossobuco

Risotto with saffron is a traditional first course of Lombardy but if you prepare this risotto with the ossobuco it becomes a traditional Italian recipe of Milano. The particularity of Risotto with saffron and ossobuco is the use of the marrowbone for the cooking of risotto that gives it a delicious taste. The preparation of this Italian first course need to combine the preparation of ossobuco with the normal preparation of risotto, but if you put them together the result will be even better. 

INGREDIENTS (for 4 people): 

FOR RISOTTO 

320 g or 11,3 oz of Rice 

Saffron 

3 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil 

FOR THE BROTH 

1 Onion 

1 Carrot 

1 Potato 

1 Celery 

Raw salt 

FOR OSSOBUCO 

4 Ossobuco (cross-cut veal shanks) 

3 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil 

1 Onion 

1 Celery 

200 ml or 1 cup of Tomato puree 

Salt 

Black Pepper 

PREPARATION TIME: 30 minutes 

COOKING TIME: 20 minutes 

WINE: Barbera dell’Oltre Po Pavese (Red Wine) 

text-align: justify;"> PREPARATION 

First prepare the broth and the ossobuco. Prepare the broth with potato, carrot, onion and celery. Place them in 1 liter of water and let it boil for 15 -20 minutes, add to the broth enough salt. Then prepare the ossobuco: preheat the extra virgin olive oil in a large pan, chop the onion and the celery and add them to the extra virgin olive oil and let them brown for few minutes.

Then add the 4 ossobuco and let them brown on both side for some minutes.

At this point add the tomato puree and 2 glass of water.

Sprinkle with salt and black peepr and let the ossobuco cook for 15 -20 minutes. When the ossobuco is cooked remove from them the marrowbone and keep it for the preparation of risotto.

Now you can prepare the risotto. Pre-heat the extra virgin olive oil in a pan, then chop the onion that you used for the preparation of the broth and add it to the extra virgin olive oil. Add the rice and let it toast for 3 minutes.

Add 1 or 2 ladle of broth and stir, let the rice cook and time by time add the broth and continue to stir.

After 10 minutes from the start of the cooking of the rice add to it the marrow bone that you removed from the ossobuco and the saffron and stir.

Let finish the cooking of the risotto for other 6 – 8 minutes; remember to add continuously the broth and stir. When risotto is ready serve it hot together with the ossobuco.

BUON APPETITO

Risotto with Beer and Parmesan

This Risotto is prepared with Italian beer and Parmigiano Reggiano mature of 36 months. This Parmigiano is the one I prefer more because the long maturing gives it a more delicious taste. The preparation of this risotto is a little bit different because here I used the onion and the potato that I used for the preparation of the broth even also for the preparation of the risotto. In particular I minced the onion already cooked in the broth and I let it brown in the extra virgin olive oil and then I used the potato in pieces in order to give to the risotto a more saucy consistency. If you go on reading you will see the all preparation of this delicious Italian Risotto. 

INGREDIENTS (for 4 people): 

320 g 11,3 oz of Rice 

80 g or 2 ,8 oz of Parmesan in pieces 

250 ml or half a pint of Italian Beer 

3 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil 

15 g or 0,5 oz of Butter 

FOR THE BROTH 

1 Onion 

1 Carrot 

1 Potato 

Raw salt 

PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes 

COOKING TIME: 20 minutes 

WINE: Chainti DOC (Red Wine) 

PREPARATION 

First thing to do: prepare the broth. Clean and peel the onion, the potato and the carrot. Place them in a casserole with water and salt and let it boil for about 20 minutes.

Then you can start the preparation of risotto. Preheat the extra virgin olive oil, place in it the onion that you use for the preparation of the broth and minced it inside the pan. Let it brown for a few minutes

then add the rice and lei it toast.

After some minutes add the beer and stir. Wait until the beer is evaporated, at this point start to add the broth.

Remember the broth you add in the rice should be always very hot, this means that you have to leave it always boils. Continue to stir while adding the broth. 10 minutes before the end of the cooking cut in small pieces the potato that you used for the preparation of the broth to the rice.

5 minutes before the end of the cooking add the Parmesan and the butter in pieces and stir.

When the rice is cooked, around 15-18 minutes from the starting of the cooking,serve it hot.

BUON APPETITO!

Risotto with Black Ink and Cuttlefishes

Risotto with ink black is an Italian first course easy to prepare and very tasteful. The main ingredients are obviously the rice, the cuttlefishes and ink black. I cooked this risotto using a vegetable broth and not the cooking water of the cuttlefishes because I prefer a more delicate taste instead of the more strong taste of fish. During the Christmas Eve traditionally in Italy we cook fish and to meat so from the appetizer, to the first course and also the main course are fish based dishes. For this reason Risotto with ink black and cuttlefishes could be a delicious suitable first course for the dinner of Christmas Eve.


INGREDIENTS (for 6 people):
480 g of rice
600 g of Cuttlefishes
1 Onion
1 Glass of white wine
3 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
8 g of ink black
Parsley
FOR BROTH:
1 Carrot
1 Onion
Celery
1 Potato
Raw Salt

PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes

COOKING TIME: 20 minutes

WINE: Pinot Bianco Doc (White Wine)

PREPARATION
First prepare the broth, clean and peel the carrot, potato, onion and celery. Place them in a pan with water and raw salt and let them boil until the vegetables are cooked.





Remember that you can prepare the broth also with the use of the pressure cooker if you don't have a lot of time. Clean the cuttlefishes, place them in a pan with water and let the water boil for 1-2 minutes. Drain the cuttlefishes and cut them in pieces.



When the cuttlefishes and the broth are ready you can start with the preparation of risotto.
Chop the onion, preheat the extra virgin olive oil, add the onion and let them sauté for few minutes.



Then add the cuttlefishes and the white wine. Let it evaporate and sprinkle with parsley.





Add the rice, let it roast for few minutes



and start to add time by time the broth stirring continuously.



Cook the rice for about 15-18 minutes or the time indicated in the packaging. When the rice is almost cooked let the broth reduce. 1-2 minutes before the end of the cooking add the ink black and stir.



Serve warm risotto.



BUON APPETITO!

Risotto with Castelmagno Cheese

Castelmagno cheese is a cheese that comes from a small village called Castelmagno that is located in Piedmont in north part of Italy. Castelmagno cheese is a traditional cheese from cow but it can contain also milk from sheep or goat. This Italian food is often used in Piedmont for the preparation of gnocchi of potatoes with melted Castelmagno cheese on the top. It is a delicious Italian food that you can eat alone or with honey or jam. Here I decided to prepare a delicious risotto with Castelmagno cheese to be served with golden potatoes and walnuts. The preparation is simple a little bit more long because you have to boil the potatoes that if you cut in small cubes it will be faster. Castelmagno cheese is used in this recipe at the end when the rice is ready. You have just to add Castelmagno cheese to the rice, mix well and leave on the flame 1-2 minutes more, so that the rice takes the flavor of the cheese.

INGREDIENTS FOR BROTH:
1 Carrot
1 Potato
1 Onion
1 Celery
INGREDIENTS (for 4 people):
320 g or 2 cup of Rice
100 g or 1 cup of Castelmagno cheese
50 g or half a cup of Walnuts
3 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Half white onion
2 Potatoes
Hot pepper

PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes

COOKING TIME: 40 minutes

WINE: Nebbiolo d'Alba (Red Wine)

PREPARATION
Start preparing the vegetable broth, clean and peel the carrot, the potato, the onion, and the celery, cut them in big pieces and place them in a potful, add half a liter of water and a bit of coarse salt and let it boil for about 30-40 minutes.



If you don't have a lot of time the best thing to do in order to have the same result is to use the pressure cooker, with which you will need only 10-15 minutes.



While the broth is cooking prepare the potatoes. Clean and peel the potatoes, cut them in cubes and let them boil until they are cooked. You can check the cooking of the potatoes with a fork; if the fork enters in the potatoes they are ready.



When the vegetable broth and the potatoes are almost ready preheat the extra virgin olive oil in a casserole, chop the onion, add them to the oil and let it brown.



Then add the rice, let it toast for 2 minutes, add the white wine and let it evaporate. Now you can start adding time by time the vegetable broth and cook the rice for about 16-18 minutes stirring continuously, paying attention not to cook it too much, the rice should be firm at the end of the cooking.



In the meantime continue with the cooking of the potatoes. After draining the potatoes, preheat a pan, add in it the potatoes, sprinkle with a little bit of hot pepper and let them roast until they become golden.



Grate the Castelmagno cheese in big pieces as shown in the picture below.



When the rice is almost ready add the Castelmagno cheese and mix in order to let the Castelmagno melt.



When everything is well mix serve the risotto with the Castelmagno cheese and place on the top a bit of potatoes and the walnuts.



BUON APPETITO!

Risotto with Apple and Gorgonzola Cheese

This is another delicious Italian recipes for Risotto. There is also in this risotto the presence of fruit like in the recipes of risotto with speck and pomegranate juice that I posted few days ago. In this case the apple is matched with Gorgonzola cheese. The preparation is very simple: you just need to peel and cut the apple and have in you fridge a little bit of Gorgonzola cheese, better if the Gorgonzola is the type sweet that is usually more cream and soft than the piquant type.

INGREDIENTS (for 4 people)
320 g or 2 cups of Rice type Arborio
1 Apple
3 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin olive oil
1 / 2 Onion
1 / 2 Glass of White wine
150 g or 3/4 cup of Gorgonzola cheese
Vegetable broth

PREPARATION TIME: 15 minutes

COOKING TIME: 20 minutes

WINE: Biferno Rosso Superiore Doc (Red Wine)

PREPARATION
Start preparing the vegetable broth, clean and peel the carrot, the potato, the onion, and the celery, cut them in big pieces and place them in a potful, add half a liter of water and a bit of coarse salt



and let it boil for about 30-40 minutes.



If you don't have a lot of time the best thing to do in order to have the same result is to use the pressure cooker, with which you will need only 10-15 minutes.When the vegetable broth is almost ready preheat the extra virgin olive oil in a casserole, cut the onion in thin slices, add them to the oil and let them brown. Clean and cut the apples in small cubes as shown in the picture and add to the onion, let them cook for a few minutes



then add the rice, let it toast for 2 minutes, add the white wine and let it evaporate.



Now you can start adding time by time the vegetable broth and cook the rice for about 18 minutes stirring continuously, paying attention not to cook it too much, the rice should be firm at the end of the cooking.





When the rice is cooked add the Gorgonzola cheese and stir in order to mix all the ingredients.



Serve warm and if you like you can sprinkle risotto with Parmesan.

BUON APPETITO!

Risotto with Speck and Pomegranate Juice

This Italian recipe of risotto is typical of the autumnal or winter period. When you have in your kitchen pomegranate and speck you can simply and quickly cooked a delicious risotto. You just need to squeeze the pomegranate in order to obtain the juice and toast the rice with the speck and red wine the result will be excellent. You can obtain a better result if you can cooked yourself also the broth that is very simple and fast to prepare, you just need to boil salted water with big pieces of carrot, potato, celery and onion.

INGREDIENTS (for 4 people):
320g or 2 cups of Rice (type Arborio)
3 / 4 Onion
3 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 - 2 Pomegranates
100g of or 1/2 cupSpeck cut in small cubes
Half Glass of Red wine
Parmesan
Vegetable broth (1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 potato, celery, coarse salt)

PREPARATION TIME: 30 minutes (15 minutes with the pressure cooker)

COOKING TIME: 20 minutes

WINE: Bardolino Novello Doc (Red Wine)

PREPARATION
Start preparing the vegetable broth, clean and peel the carrot, the potato, the onion, and the celery, cut them in big pieces and place them in a potful, add half a liter of water and a bit of coarse salt



and let it boil for about 30-40 minutes.



If you don't have a lot of time the best thing to do in order to have the same result is to use the pressure cooker, with which you will need only 10-15 minutes. When the broth is almost ready you can start with the preparation of risotto, preheat the extra virgin olive oil in a casserole, cut the onion in thin slices, add them to the hot oil and let them brown.



You can leave the onion in the casserole, if you like them, otherwise you can even remove them. Add the small cubes of speck, let them cook for a few minutes



and then add the rice and let it roast.



Add half glass of red wine, let it evaporate and start adding the broth, little by little stirring continuously.



Let the rice cook for about 15-18 minutes,



pay attention not to over cook it. When the rice is cooked, add the juice of pomegranate, stir.





Serve warm and sprinkle with Parmesan



BUON APPETITO!