Primo / First course
A golden, crisp Italian rice pancake made from saffron risotto, butter, and Parmigiano Reggiano. Tender inside, deeply toasted outside, and perfect as a refined first course or a clever leftover dish.
Recipe video
Warm the stock in a saucepan and keep it just below a simmer. Stir the saffron into a ladleful of hot stock and let it bloom.
Melt 30 g / 1 oz butter in a wide pan. Add the onion and cook gently for 4–5 minutes until soft but not browned.
Add the rice and toast for 2 minutes, stirring until the grains look glossy and hot.
Pour in the wine and stir until it has almost fully evaporated.
Add hot stock one ladle at a time, stirring often. Wait until each ladle is absorbed before adding the next.
Cook for 16–18 minutes, until the rice is al dente and creamy but not soupy. Stir in the saffron stock.
Turn off the heat. Stir in 30 g / 1 oz butter and the Parmigiano. Season with salt and pepper.
Spread the risotto on a tray in a thin layer. Cool completely, then chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Heat a nonstick skillet with 20 g / 0.7 oz butter. Press the cold risotto into one large compact disk, about 1.5 cm / ⅝ in thick.
Cook over medium heat for 5–6 minutes without moving it, until the base is deeply golden and crisp.
Slide the rice cake onto a plate, invert it back into the pan, add the remaining 20 g / 0.7 oz butter, and crisp the second side for 4–5 minutes.
Rest for 2 minutes, then serve hot in wedges with extra Parmigiano, herbs, and a little lemon zest if desired.
