INGREDIENTS
- 4 cups homemade chicken broth (or store-bought low-sodium broth)
- a 2-finger pinch of saffron threads
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups Italian medium grain rice (Carnaroli, Arborio, or Vial1 Nano)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (skip if using store-bought low-sodium broth)
- 4 tablespoons butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces
- 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated pecorino Romano cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- More grated pecorino Romano cheese for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Steep the saffron in the broth: Warm the chicken broth in the microwave. Stir the saffron threads into the chicken broth and let them soak while mincing and sautéing the onion.
- Sauté the onions and rice: Heat the butter in the pressure cooker pot over medium heat (sauté mode in an Instant Pot) until the butter stops foaming, about 3 minutes. Add the onions to the pot and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté, stirring often, until the onions soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until it the rice turns translucent at the edges, about 5 minutes.
- Pressure Cook the risotto for 5 minutes with a Quick Pressure Release: Stir in the chicken broth steeped with saffron, and then the ½ teaspoon salt. Lock the lid on the pressure cooker. Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes in an electric pressure cooker (Manual Mode or Pressure Cook for an Instant Pot) or stovetop pressure cooker. Quick release the pressure. Carefully remove the lid, tilting it away from you to avoid the scalding hot steam.
- Stir in butter and cheese: Stir the 4 tablespoons of butter into the rice until it melts, then stir in the grated cheese and fresh ground pepper. Serve, sprinkling with a little extra grated cheese, and enjoy!
NOTES
- If you use store-bought broth, watch out for “regular” chicken broth – it’s loaded with salt. If you can’t find low-sodium chicken broth, use water.
- You can skip the saffron – it won’t be authentic Risotto alla Milanese, but it will still be a good, simple risotto.
- I prefer Carnaroli rice, if I can find it – it is supposed to stand up to overcooking better than Arborio or Vialone Nano, and I don’t mind having a little extra cushion when I’m pressure cooking. That said, I have made many a pressure cooker risotto with Arborio, and they’ve all turned out fine, so if that’s all you can find, go ahead and use it.
- Osso Bucco is the traditional Milanese main dish to serve with Risotto alla Milanese – check out the recipe below.
