Most Precious Risotto with Saffron
Invented for a king, to delight him with its shining golden color, now it's a recipe that everyone can afford. Enjoy the extraordinary flavor of saffron!
Directions
Prepare a stock with 2 pints water and the stock cube
Pour 2 oz. Butter in a wide pot and heat it until it melts
Add the onion, cut in very thin slices, and let it get golden
Add the rice, stir well so that all grains get roasted (the use of a wooden spoon is suggested)
Add the white wine, stir well, set the temperature to a minimum
Cook for 15 minutes, stirring now and then and adding hot stock one ladle at a time, when the rice has absorbed it.
Make sure the rice never gets too dry and add stock when it does
Take 1/2 cup stock apart, pour the saffron in it and mix very well to melt it
Pour the saffron and stock in the rice, stir very well until the whole rice gets yellow
Cook for other 2 minutes, then switch off and take out the pot from the fire
Add the remaining butter, stir well and let it rest for 1-2 minutes
Serve adding grated parmesan cheese and a little bit of pepper
Additional Notes
There's something you will surely notice about saffron: it's extremely expensive! Look at its price per pound and you will realize that the color is not the only thing that makes it resemble to gold!
But there is a reason why: saffron is a powder derived from the stigmas of a flower. Each flower only has 3 stigmas. Each stigma must be picked up by hand because the flower is extremely delicate. You need 140,000 flowers and 500 working hours to make 2 lb. of saffron powder!
It is not just expensive: it's precious!
Luckily, the quantity you need is so small to make the recipe absolutely cost-effective!
