Risotto alla milanese con ossobuchi

Guido Pedrelli
Guido Pedrelli
Italian Cuisine Expert and Food Blogger
Guido Pedrelli
Guido Pedrelli, the mastermind behind Nonna Box, has honed his culinary expertise for decades, inspired by family feasts in Emilia-Romagna. Mentored by his restaurateur nonna, he mastered Italian classics and furthered his skills with professional culinary studies in desserts and gelato making from Mec3. Today, he shares this rich legacy and authentic recipes through Nonna Box.
Expertise: Italian cuisine, Pasta, Pizza, Pastry, Dessert

A wonderful fusion of two of Lombardy’s savory traditional dishes, Risotto alla milanese con ossobuchi is something your palate should definitely try. After all, nothing says Milanese soul food like this hearty plate of saffron-tinged risotto topped with ossobuchi, or cross-cut veal shanks. One of the key ingredients is, of course, a flavor-absorbing rice called carnaroli, which we recently featured in the Piedmont Nonna Box.

 

Risotto alla milanese

When you say risotto dish, what would probably pop in your head Italian grains, specifically Carnaroli or Arborio rice. That’s quite understandable. However, with Risotto alla milanese, the highlight of the recipe is not actually the rice, but the spice saffron.

Now, what is saffron exactly? For those of you who don’t know, it is the aromatic dried stigmas of the flower called saffron crocus. The plant itself is quite difficult to cultivate and harvest because it’s super delicate. What’s more is that each saffron flower only has three tiny stigmas.

This means you’d need to harvest a lot of flowers for even a gram of the dried spice. So it’s no wonder that saffron is the most expensive spice in the world.

risotto alla milanese

Thankfully, for this recipe, and most other recipes, you only need a pinch. With just a teeny tiny dash, you can have a plate of yellow savory risotto that’s a perfect pair primo or companion to meat dishes such as Ossobuco.

 

Ossobuco

One of the most savory traditional meat dishes from the Lombardy region, Ossobuco is made with cross-cut veal shanks, white wine, broth, and vegetables, especially tomatoes.

In the old days, however, instead of tomatoes, it was seasoned with bay leaves, cinnamon, and gremolata. Gremolata is a mixture of chopped lemon zest, garlic, and parsley. This delicious dish is best served with mashed potatoes or polenta (or pasta?).

However, if you want a much heartier meal, you can pair it with another delicious Milanese dish. We’re talking of Risotto alla Milanese, of course.

 

Easy Risotto alla Milanese con Ossobuchi Recipe

Now, for this recipe, you’ll essentially be cooking two dishes so you probably think it’s a bit tedious. But trust us when we say, the end result is worth all that work. And your family and friends who taste it would probably agree, too!

Risotto alla milanese con ossobuchi

Risotto alla milanese con ossobuchi

This risotto alla milanese recipe is a traditional recipe from the Lombardy region of Italy. An absolute try!
5 from 4 votes
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Course: Risotto
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 3846kcal

Ingredients

  • 6 ossobuchi cross-cut veal shanks
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 2 liters meat broth
  • Parsley
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 zest lemon
  • 1 onion
  • 400 grams Carnaroli rice
  • 50 grams butter
  • 1 glass white wine
  • 0.125 g saffron

Instructions

  • In a pan, melt 25 grams of butter
  • Cover the ossobuco with flour and fry them in the pan until slightly brown
  • Pour half of a glass of white wine over them and cook at low heat for one hour, adding a ladle of meat broth every once in a while
  • Mince the garlic and the parsley, and grate the lemon zest
  • When the ossobuco is cooked add the minced garlic, parsley and grated lemon zest
  • Dice the onion into very small pieces
  • In a big pot, melt the 25 grams of butter and add the minced onion
  • In another pot, warm the meat broth
  • When the onion is soft, add the rice and toast it for two minutes, adding the other half glass of white wine
  • When the white wine is evaporated, continue to add a ladle or two of meat broth, stirring frequently
  • Add the saffron and continue to stir, adding one ladle of broth when the rice looks dry
  • Cook for 15 minutes or until desired softness
  • When cooked, you can mix a bit of butter and grated parmigiano into the rice
  • Serve the rice on a plate and add the warm ossobuco on top of it
Calories: 3846kcal | Carbohydrates: 362g | Protein: 316g | Fat: 95g | Saturated Fat: 43g | Cholesterol: 1124mg | Sodium: 8974mg | Potassium: 6126mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1250IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 573mg | Iron: 19.2mg
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 Buon appetito!

Other risotto recipes:

 

 

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