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Italian · V The Canonical Dishes · Lombardy

Risotto alla monzese — Monza, Lombardy

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I

Origin

Monza, Lombardy — risotto alla monzese combines the saffron of risotto alla milanese with the crumbled pork sausage of the Brianza countryside near Monza. It is a heartier, more rustic version of the Milanese classic, adding the meaty substance of sausage to the golden, saffron-scented rice.

II

Description

Pork sausage (luganega or similar mild sausage) is removed from its casing and crumbled. Browned in butter with onion. Rice is toasted in the sausage fat. White wine is added. Saffron, steeped in warm broth, is added. Meat broth is added in ladlefuls. The sausage pieces cook into the risotto. Finished with butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

III

The Thread

—Both cook rice in fat before any liquid is added, so that each grain is coated and keeps its structure, and both can carry saffron and meat. Pilaf is cooked covered with a measured volume of liquid until it is absorbed and the grains stand separate, whereas the risotto takes broth in ladlefuls with stirring until the rice is creamy. Turkish
—Both build the rice on the rendered fat of a cured or fresh pork sausage, which gives the grain its savoury depth and its colour. The Spanish rice is cooked in a wide pan with a measured volume of stock and left unstirred, while the Lombard rice is stirred to release its starch and finished with butter and cheese. Spanish
—Both pair saffron with rice and meat, and both depend on the rice taking up the colour and perfume of the saffron during cooking. Paella is cooked uncovered and undisturbed so that a crust forms on the base of the pan, while the risotto is kept moist and flowing and has no crust. Spanish
IV

Flavour Context

Saffron's warm, honey-metallic perfume combined with the savoury, meaty depth of browned sausage. The combination is more substantial than plain saffron risotto and more elegant than plain sausage risotto. The overall impression is golden, meaty, and warming.

Pillars V — VII
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