Who Wouldn't Want This?

The world's most expensive spice. A recipe. And the perfect pan.

In my opinion you cannot have too much saffron. When a friend walked through my door with this gorgeous saffron from Afghanistan I was ecstatic; the long aromatic strands pulsated with color and as I opened the bottle the dramatic aroma of the world’s most expensive spice leapt into the air.

I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

Saffron is so precious that people tend to use it sparingly, but there is nothing so satisfying as being able to use a lot. I instantly pulled out my risotto pan and began cooking this.

Apologies to Marcella Hazan for my adaptation of her recipe; this is considerably more saffron than the late, great cook advised.

Risotto Milanese
5 cups homemade chicken broth
½ small onion, diced
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups Italian rice (Arborio, Carnaroli or Vialone Nano)
2 tablespoons white wine
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring the broth to a slow, steady simmer on a burner near the pan where you will be making risotto.

Set a broad, sturdy, heavy-bottomed pot (see below), over medium-high heat cook. Add a tablespoon of butter, the olive oil and diced onion and cook a few minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the rice and toss about until the rice is coated.

Add wine and stir until it has cooked off, then add ½ cup of broth, stirring constantly.

Continue to add ½ cup of broth at a time, stirring almost constantly for about 15 minutes, until the rice is tender but still firm in the center.

Crush the saffron threads with the back of a spoon, add 1/2 cup of hot broth and stir until the saffron has dissolved.

Add it to the rice and continue stirring for a few more minutes, adding more broth as needed.

Add half the grated cheese, stir, add the remaining butter and stir again. Add a bit more broth, taste and add more salt as needed. (The amount will depend on the saltiness of the broth you’ve used.)

Set the remaining cheese on the table for diners to add at will.

Marcella says this serves 6, but in my house it’s a main course and will feed 3 lucky people.

While we’re talking extravagance…. I make my risotto in a silver-lined copper pot from East Coast Tinning which is not only incredibly beautiful, but also exquisitely responsive to changes in heat. This means that you can instantly moderate the heat as your risotto cooks.

(I wrote about these beautiful pans here.)