To celebrate the opening of pop-up restaurant Bar Milano by Eataly, La Cucina Italiana hosted an IG Live Event with Eataly’s Flatiron team for a sneak peek. Managing Editor Carole Hallac connected with Executive Chef Michael Nogera who prepared live a Risotto alla Milanese, an iconic Milanese dish, along with Beverage Director Randall Restiano, who made an authentic Negroni cocktail.
Chef Nogera shared some of his tips to prepare the delicious saffron risotto. He used Scotti Carnaroli rice for a smooth texture (but you can also use Arborio, which is typical in Lombardy), and a hearty stock made with chicken bones, bone marrow, and saffron. While the classic Risotto alla Milanese ingredients often include wine, onion, and butter (see Eataly’s classic recipe below), he didn’t use any of them as he prefers toasting the plain rice on a dry pot before starting to add the broth. “I don‘t use any white wine because I want the chicken, the bone marrow, and the saffron to come through”, he explained. “It takes 18 to 20 minutes to prepare risotto”, he added, “but you can’t leave it, you have to stir it the whole time”.
Chef Nogera also shared some of the dishes of Bar Milano’s menu, such as mondeghili, crispy braised beef, and pork meatballs, pappardelle with a veal ragù, a white risotto made with Parmigiano Reggiano broth and topped with truffles, and cotoletta alla Milanese, a classic veal chop. Other highlights include riso al salto, crispy saffron risotto with melted Taleggio cheese, and a cutlet of deep-fried chicken white and dark meat.
Beverage and Wine Director Randall Restiano showed the viewers how to make a prepare a Negroni table side. His Fred Jerbis Negroni Ambrato cocktail uses spirits from celebrated Italian producers and a juicy peach slice instead of the classic orange. “Always stir the cocktail, never shake it!” he recommended. Restiano also curated the wine list that includes 35 exclusive bottles from the Milanese region. “We decided to make a wine list where all the wines would come from 100 miles from Milan,” he explained. “We put a ruler on a map and we made a circle, and we were able to include some of the best wine regions in Italy. And with Chef’s Nogera menu, that has more subtle and delicate flavors than South of Italy's cuisine, we needed less strong, more elegant wines.” The list includes wines from Franciacorta, the most recognized wine region in Lombardy, and Valtellina, which produces an “Alpine Nebbiolo”, also called Chiavennasca. Guests can also order bottles for the extensive 600 labels of Eataly’s Flatiron cellar the largest of all Eataly’s locations in North America.
The Negroni Cart at Bar Milano by Eataly
Bar Milano by Eataly is open Monday to Friday from 4 pm-9 pm and 12 pm-9 pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Enjoy Eataly’s classic Risotto alla Milanese recipe and Randall Restiano’s direction to make a refreshing Negroni below.
Risotto allo Zafferano (Saffron Risotto)- Courtesy by Eataly
Serves 4
Ingredients:
For the broth:
Piece of boiled beef
1 carrot
1 onion
1 celery stalk
1 parsley stalk
2-3 peppercorns
Sea salt, to taste
For the risotto:
1 ⅔ cups rice, preferably Carnaroli
Saffron, to taste
½ cup white wine
½ cup Grana Padano, grated
½ medium onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
To prepare the broth, combine all of the ingredients in a pot, and cover with cold water, and bring to a boil for at least two hours, or until the meat is tender. Season the broth with salt, and keep the pot simmering while preparing the risotto.
In a medium saucepan, heat about 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat, and add the onion, sautéing until it becomes soft and translucent, about 20 minutes.
Add the rice to the pan, and toast it, stirring constantly, until it becomes fragrant. Add the white wine, and stir until it has evaporated and the rice is translucent with just a small pearl visible in the center of the grain.
Add 1 ladleful of the broth, stirring until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Using a spatula, collect all of the grains from the sides of the pot, and stir into the mixture so that the rice cooks evenly. Continue adding 1 ladleful of the warm stock at a time, stirring constantly to ensure even cooking. Taste the rice before each addition of broth to gauge how close it is to be cooked and to adjust the seasoning with salt.
While the rice is cooking, toast the saffron in a small pan over low heat. Crumble the toasted saffron, and combine with a small amount of the broth.
When the rice is al dente, stir the saffron-infused broth into the risotto. Season with salt, to taste. Remove the pot from the heat, and add the butter and Grana Padano. Stir until the ingredients are completely incorporated.
Serve the risotto into four warm bowls.
Fred Jerbis Negroni Ambrato by Randall Restiano
Serves 1
Ingredients:
ice cubes
1 giant ice cube
1 ripe peach
1.5 oz Fred Jerbis Bitter 34
1.5 oz Fred Jerbis Vermut 25
1.5 oz Fred Jerbis Gin 43
Method:
Over ice mix all three ingredients in glass. STIR the cocktail so that ingredients mix, but not stir too rigorously and DON'T shake this cocktail. Pour over a giant ice cube into a rocks glass or straight up into a coupe or martini glass, straining out the ice. Slice thinly a ripe preach and place on top.