Saffron Risotto With Spring Onion, Saffron and Green Garlic

- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- About 7 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½cup finely chopped spring onion or leek
- ⅔cup finely chopped green garlic (about 2 bulbs)
- Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste
- 1½cups arborio or carnaroli rice
- Generous pinch of saffron threads
- ½cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc
- Freshly ground pepper
- ½cup freshly grated Parmesan
For the Saffron Risotto With Spring Onion, Saffron and Green Garlic
Preparation
For the Saffron Risotto With Spring Onion, Saffron and Green Garlic
- Step 1
Put the stock or broth into a saucepan, and bring it to a simmer over low heat with a ladle nearby. Make sure that the broth is well seasoned.
- Step 2
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy nonstick skillet or saucepan. Add the spring onion, green garlic and ½ teaspoon salt, and cook gently until it is just tender, about three minutes. Do not brown.
- Step 3
Add the rice, and stir just until the grains separate and begin to crackle. Rub the saffron between your thumb and fingers, and stir into the rice. Add the wine, stirring until it has been absorbed. Begin adding the simmering stock, a couple of ladlefuls (about ½ cup) at a time. The stock should just cover the rice and should be bubbling, not too slowly nor too quickly. Cook, stirring often, until the stock is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock. Continue to cook in this fashion, adding more stock when the rice is almost dry and stirring. When the rice is just tender all the way through but still chewy, in 20 to 25 minutes, it is done. Taste, and adjust seasoning.
- Step 4
Add another ladleful of stock to the rice. Stir in the Parmesan, and remove from the heat. The mixture should be creamy. Serve right away in wide soup bowls or on plates, spreading the risotto in a thin layer rather than lumping into a mound.
- Advance preparation: You can begin several hours before serving. Proceed with the recipe, cooking halfway through step 3 — that is, for about 15 minutes. The rice should still be hard when you remove it from the heat, and there should be no liquid in the pan. Spread an even layer in the pan, and keep it away from the heat until you resume cooking. If the pan is not wide enough for you to spread the rice in a thin layer, transfer it to a sheet pan. Fifteen minutes before serving, bring the remaining stock back to a simmer, and reheat the rice. Resume cooking as instructed.
Private Notes
Comments
This was nice and texture wise I think I happened to make one of the best risottos I've ever made. I have to say I did add a bit of butter at the end because I felt like there was something missing.
This was nice and texture wise I think I happened to make one of the best risottos I've ever made. I have to say I did add a bit of butter at the end because I felt like there was something missing.
This was an elegant dish with our salmon Wellington for Christmas. I've never made risotto before but found the directions easy to follow. The mistake I made was to add too much chicken stock at the end but no one complained. The saffron is simply beautiful!
This was very good, but very simple by itself. I added shaved carrots near the end and served with slow roasted carrots and silverbeet, and gremolata. Delicious!
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