Recipe adapted from Biba’s Italy Cook Book (Milanese Saffron Risotto)
Ingredients
7 cups Chicken BONED Broth
1/2 tsp crumbled saffron threads
4 tbsp or 1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/2 small yellow onion, minced
2 cups Vialone Nano, Arborio or Carnaroli rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Fresh King crab and lobster
Salt to taste
Procedure
Heat the Chicken BONED Broth in a medium saucepan and keep warm over low heat. Transfer 1 cup of hot bone broth to a bowl, stir in the saffron and set aside.
Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter begins to foam, add the onion and cook, stirring until soft and translucent. Add the rice and stir until it is well coated with the butter and onion and begins to whiten for about 2 minutes. Stir in the wine and when the wine is almost evaporated, add 1 cup of hot Chicken BONED Broth. Cook and stir until most of the broth has been absorbed. Continue cooking and stirring rice in this manner, adding 1 cup or so of the broth at a time, for about 15 minutes.
Add the 1 cup of saffron bone broth and continue cooking and stirring until more of the broth has been absorbed and the rice is tender but still a bit firm to the bite, 3 to 4 minutes.
Swirl in the remaining tablespoons of butter and about half of the Parmigiano. Stir quickly until the cheese and butter are melted and the rice has become creamy moist consistency. Taste, adjust the season and serve with the remaining Parmigiano on the side.
Serves 4, takes 30 mins
300g quinoa, soaked if time then drained and rinsed
2 tbsp butter/ ghee / oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp dried thyme/oregano or 4 tsp fresh thyme leaves
125ml white wine or add a few tbsp apple cider vinegar
1.5 litres good-quality chicken bone broth
400g baby spinach
3 large handfuls frozen peas
100g -150g Parmesan, plus extra to serve or cheddar
2 large handfuls of basil or flat-leaf parsley or a mix, leaves chopped and stems very finely chopped
grated zest and juice of ½ – 1 unwaxed lemon
sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Heat the butter/ghee in a large saucepan over medium heat and gently fry the onion for 10 minutes, until softened, stirring from time to time.
Add the garlic and thyme for another minute with the herb stalks.
Add the drained quinoa to the pan, stir and leave for a minute until the quinoa is almost sticking. Add a big pinch of sea salt and pepper and the white wine/vinegar, turn up the heat and stir to deglaze the pan of all the juicy bits.
Pour in just over litre of the stock/broth, turn up the heat to bring to the boil then turn down to a medium simmer for about 14 minutes or about 18 minutes if you didn’t soak the quinoa and add more liquid if you need it. Meanwhile finely chop the spinach leaves and grate the parmesan.
Check on the quinoa, give it a taste, it should be tender. Stir through the frozen peas and chopped spinach, give it a minute, then turn off the heat. Add the last of the stock/broth if you think it needs it.
Add the parmesan, lemon juice, zest, and the herbs and give it a good stir. Then serve up with extra parmesan and a little more butter or olive oil if you like.
