Andrew Zimmern Cooks: Risotto Milanese

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grana padano

Grana padano offers a similar flavor at a lower cost.

dry white wine

🥗Healthier: white grape juice

💰Cheaper: apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar can provide acidity without the cost of wine.

butter

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Margarine is a cost-effective fat alternative.

porcini mushrooms

🥗Healthier: shiitake mushrooms

💰Cheaper: button mushrooms

Button mushrooms are more affordable and widely available.

Put a few teaspoons of olive oil into a pan before it gets hot.

Add shallots to the pan and a few pinches of chili flakes, white pepper, and salt.

Turn the shallots glassy without scorching the pepper or chili flakes.

Add arborio rice to the pan, glazing it and heating it through without toasting.

When the rice becomes aromatic, add white wine and let it simmer until almost evaporated.

Heat 8 cups of chicken stock in a separate pot until boiling.

Pour a few teaspoons of hot stock over the saffron to distribute the flavor evenly.

Wait for the rice to tighten up before adding stock; do not let all the liquid disappear.

Add a few ladles of stock to the rice, stirring 10-15 percent less each time to allow the rice to continue cooking.

Add another cup and a half of stock and observe the rice grains becoming plumper.

Taste the rice every four or five minutes as it absorbs the last cup and a quarter of liquid.

Add peas and cheese before tasting for salt seasoning, as cheese adds saltiness.

Finish with a tablespoon of butter to amp up the creaminess.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens