Milan-style risotto with saffron and bone marrow

Ingredients

• 300 g of Italian rice (Vialone, Arborio, or Carnaroli)
• 1 small onion
• 80 to 100 grams of butter
• 2 to 3 beef marrow bones (approximately 30 to 50 grams of marrow per bone)
• 1/4 teaspoon of saffron threads
• 1.5 liters of homemade meat or poultry broth (not commercially produced)
• 1/2 glass of white or red wine
• 80 g of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• salt

Remove the marrow from the bones by pressing, chop it up, and soak it in warm water for a while to remove any blood stains. Drain the water and let the marrow drain on a dishcloth. You can skip this step if you don’t mind the grayish color of the cooked marrow.

Finely chop the onion.

Bring the broth to a boil: it needs to stay hot throughout the preparation process.

Steep the saffron threads in a cup of hot broth.

Grate the Parmesan cheese.

Over low heat, in a saucepan, melt half of the butter with the marrow. Add the diced onion and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly, until it becomes translucent and loses its color.

Add the dry rice and stir until it becomes translucent.

Deglaze with wine, increase the heat slightly (the rice should come to a boil), let it simmer, and gradually add the hot broth, stirring gently from time to time.

After about a quarter of an hour, add the saffron along with its infusion liquid.

After approximately 20 to 25 minutes, the rice will be cooked. The grains should remain firm and the risotto should be moist.

Finally, gently incorporate the remaining butter and Parmesan, then let it rest, covered, for a short time.