Recipe - Risotto Saffron

5 cup Chicken or vegetable stock
One half cup White wine
One half teaspoon Saffron threads
3 tablespoon Butter
2 Whole shallots; minced
Salt; to taste
1 One half cup Arborio rice

Heat the stock in a medium pot and keep it barely at a simmer. Mix One half cup
of the hot stock with the saffron; stir and set aside.

In large skillet or soup pot, combine 2 Tbs butter, shallots, and salt over
medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the shallots are translucent and soft.
Do not brown. Add rice and stir until well coated and semi translucent, 12
minutes.

Add a ladleful of stock to the rice. Cook, stirring constantly, a few
minutes or until most of the stock is absorbed. Continue this process,
always stirring and keeping the heat at a gentle simmer, until the rice is
al dentetender but with a firm core. (As far as I know, the only way to
judge is to taste. Start checking after approximately 4 cups of stock have
been absorbed.) Add the saffron stock last. The risotto will have a
wonderful creamy consistency.

Stir in the remaining Tbs of butter and the Parmesan cheese, and serve
immediately.

We served this with roasted vegetables, and I HIGHLY recommend roasting a
couple of cut or sliced up red peppers and quartered small red onions as this cooks.
The color and flavor combination is absolutely incredible. A simple green
salad and good crusty French bread fill this out into a really memorable
meal.

NOTES : This is an absolutely beautiful, sunny yellow rice dish adapted
slightly from Patricia Wells' "Trattoria". The taste is subtle, complex,
and delicious. Though simple, it is timeconsuming, as it must be stirred
constantly for at least 20 minutes. I suggest doing what I did last
nighthave an informal dinner party and allow the guests to help stir as
you stand in the kitchen and chat! This way no one's arm falls off and
everyone feels accomplished when the steaming platter comes to the table.
Recipe by: TRATTORIA by Patricia Wells Posted to TNT Prodigy's Recipe
Exchange Newsletter by Sharon jouet@mindspring.com on Jul 17, 1997