In Monza the risotto is prepared differently than in Milan: white, it is enriched with the typical luganega, the exquisite local sausage. Here is the recipe and advice of a local chef
A handful of kilometers separate Monza from Milan. Yet the Monzesi have always made their own cultural identity a pride, and their differences from the metropolis a point of pride. Also in the kitchen. Thus the risotto in the city of Teodolinda is made white, without saffron and without marrow. Like all dishes of regional cuisine, the variants are not counted, and go from house to house: of course there are those who add saffron, but the hallmark is that the risotto monzese is the one with the luganega, typical sausage from Monza. Very soft, with a delicate and unmistakable taste: it is prepared with finely minced pork, parmesan and white wine. It is a generally lean sausage, since it contains only 25% of fat, but particularly lean is that which is prepared chef Fabio Silva to make his own "Rice with the lean luganega": "With my trusted butcher we managed to create a leaner pork mix, with less fat, while maintaining unaltered the typical taste of Monza's luganega," he explains.
The chef's rabbit
The chef of the Derby Grill, Hotel de la Ville restaurant in Monza who wants to prepare this risotto recommends «toast good rice before starting to wet it with the stock. In this way the sugars crystallize and, during cooking, less starch is released, keeping the grain more intact . His recipe includes the oil to brown, separately, the luganega, which in the traditional version is added to butter and onion in sautéed. Even the latter is replaced with shallots, while a touch of thyme gives a new Mediterranean scent to the dish.
Recipe for 4 people
280 g carnaroli rice "Riserva San Massimo"
30 g chopped shallot
80 g of malga butter
1 l vegetable stock
240 g luganega
60 g Parmigiano Reggiano Red Cows 24 months
white wine to fade
1 sprig of thyme
Extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
Remove half of the sausage from the gut, shell it and brown it quickly with a little oil in a non-stick pan. Use the same procedure for the other half, leaving it whole.
Meanwhile, fry the shallot with a knob of butter, add the rice and toast it. Sprinkle with the white wine and, once evaporated, continue cooking with the vegetable stock, adding it gradually. Halfway through cooking, add the grainy luganega and thyme. Finish cooking and stir in the risotto with the butter and Parmesan, adding salt and pepper to taste. Cut the whole sausage into pieces and use it to garnish the risotto after having it cropped.
This recipe has already been read 425 times!