Ri­sot­to ag­li spina­ci (spinach risotto)

For ➍
320 g carnaroli rice (vialone nano, arborio)
175 g fresh spinach
50 g celery, finely diced*
70 cl vegetable stock
a small glass of white wine*
60 g grated Parmigiano**
½ (red) onion
1 garlic clove, crushed
40 g extra virgin olive oil
knob of butter
salt & pepper

Blanch the spinach and then chop it finely.***
In a pan, pour in some extra virgin olive oil. Cook the crushed garlic clove, until brown. Remove the garlic and add the onion, finely chopped (add the celery if used). Cook the onion (& celery) until it becomes transparent. You can then add the spinach, stir, and season to taste. Set aside. (When using purée, add the spinach after cooking the rice).
In a casserole, toast the rice with 20 gr of extra virgin olive oil. When the rice is hot throughout, (add the wine and let evaporate), the boiling stock all at once and mix gently. Cover the casserole with the lid and allow to cook for 15 m on a low flame.(See tip).
When the rice is cooked, add the spinach, remove from the fire and add the grated Parmigiano (or Taleggio). Mix thoroughly but gently until the cheese melts.
Allow to rest for 2 m in casserole with lid on and covered with a cloth.
Serve with a few lemon slices, or sprinkle with some lemon juice.
Serve as a side dish with grilled fish or meat.

*Optional.
**Or use cubed Taleggio, rind removed & cut into small blocks
***Purée them if you want. Put the spinach in a bowl lined with a clean dish towel. Pour boiling water over the vegetable. When cold enough to handle, squeeze the water out of the spinach with the towel. Purée in a food processor with 1 tbs of butter. Adjust with pepper.

Read how to make a quick risotto.

Chicken piccata

For ➍
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, butterflied (halved horizontally)
30 all-purpose flour, sifted
coarse salt & freshly ground pepper
2 tbs olive oil
3 tbs unsalted butter
2-3 tbs dry white wine
3 tbs fresh lemon juice
2 tbs salt-packed capers, soaked in water for 20 m, then drained, rinsed, & drained again
1 tbs chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Place chicken between plastic wrap or in plastic bag. Pound evenly until about 0.5 cm thick.*
Spread flour in a shallow dish; season with 1 ts salt and ¼ ts pepper; whisk to combine. Place chicken in seasoned flour, turning to coat thoroughly, then tap off the excess.
Heat the oil and 1 tbs butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until butter starts to sizzle. Cook the chicken in batches, if necessary, to avoid crowding the pan (the cutlets should fit snugly in a single layer) until golden and cooked through, 2 to 3 m for each side. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the cutlet. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Pour out any excess fat from the pan.
Return pan to medium heat and add wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 30 s. (If the liquid is reducing too quickly, before all the browned bits have been incorporated, remove the pan from the heat.) Remove the pan from the heat. Add lemon juice, capers, and remaining 2 tbs butter and swirl until melted and combined, then add parsley and season with salt as desired.***
Immediately pour the sauce over the chicken, and serve.***

*Or put the chicken between sheets of wax paper. Pound it with a hammer or a pan or use a rolling pin.
**Shallots or garlic can be added with capers and slices of lemon. After reduction, butter is stirred in to finish the sauce.
***Serve it, like the Italians, after the pasta as secondo. Serve with vegetables or a salad.

Several authorities believe the name veal piccata, like chicken Parmesan and pasta primavera, was coined by Italian Americans in the United States in the 1930s.
Piccata is an Italian word, the feminine form of the word piccato, meaning 'larded'. It is also spelled picatta or pichotta. It is a translation of the French piqué, participle of piquer. When used in reference to a way of preparing food, particularly meat or fish, it means 'sliced, sautéed, and served in a sauce containing lemon, butter and spices'. In Italian, piccata dishes are often referred to using the umbrella term, scaloppine, of which piccata constitutes just one variety.
Traditionally, the Italians use veal (piccata di vitello al limone) or swordfish (pesce spada con capperi e limone). In the USA, the best known dish of this sort uses chicken (hence: chicken piccata). In the United States, it is usually served with a starch, such as pasta, polenta, or rice.
Try a quick chicken piccata recipe.

Ossobuco alla Milanese (Milanese veal shanks)

For ➍
2 tbs olive oil
25 g flour, to dust
4 pieces of veal shank, about 4 cm thick
50 g butter
1 onion, finely chopped*
1 carrot, finely chopped*
1 celery stick, finely chopped*
1 head of garlic, cut horizontally
2 strips of lemon zest
4 sage leaves
20 cl white wine
20 cl chicken stock
flour
gremolada

Set a casserole dish wide enough to hold the meat in one layer over a high heat. Add the oil. Put the flour on to a small plate and season generously, then use to coat the meat. When the oil is hot, add the meat to the pan and brown well on both sides until golden and crusted. Set aside on a plate.
Turn the heat down and add ¾ of the butter to the pan. When melted, add the onion, carrot and celery, plus a sprinkle of salt, and cook until soft. Add the garlic halves, lemon zest and sage to the pan and cook for a few m more.
Turn up the heat then add the wine to the pan. Return the meat, standing it on top of the vegetables, and bubble until the wine has reduced by half. Pour in the stock and bring to a simmer.
Turn the heat right down, cover and simmer for 1½ to 2 h, carefully turning the meat over every 30 m, until it is tender enough to cut with a spoon. Meanwhile, mix together the gremolada ingredients.
Dot with the remaining butter and allow to melt into the sauce, then serve with the gremolade and risotto alla Milanese or wet polenta.

*Double the vegetables for a tastier result.

This recipe was suggested by the Guardian to be the best Milanese ossobuco, after comparing several recipes.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2014/mar/06/how-to-cook-perfect-osso-buco.

Risotto alla Milanese (Milanese saffron risotto)

For ➍
350 g uncooked Arborio rice
40 g unsalted butter, divided*
3 tbs (or 60 g) beef marrow*
1 l beef stock
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp saffron powder
15 cl dry white wine
salt to taste
75 g Parmigiano cheese

Melt half of the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Simmer the onion and beef marrow* in the butter for about 10 m. When the onion is soft, remove the onion and marrow from the pan using a slotted spoon, and set aside.**
Sauté the rice in the pan over medium heat for 5 to 7 m, or until lightly toasted. Stir constantly so the rice will not stick and burn. Stir in one ladle of beef stock, and keep stirring until it is mostly absorbed, ladling and stirring in more of the broth as well as the white wine in the same manner, until the rice is almost al dente. Stir in the saffron, remaining butter, and Parmigiano cheese. cheese. Turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 4 or 5 m.
Serve as a bed for ossobuco alle Milanese. Or by itself with as much Parmigiano cheese sprinkled over as you like.

*If not using beef marrow, use 90 g butter.
**Or leave the onions in the butter.

Risotto alla Milanese is about the only risotto served as a side dish.
Read the tip to make a quick fool-proof risotto.
Read another recipe for a saffron risotto.

Ossobuco with tomatoes

For ➍
4 veal shanks of 300 g each (approx. 5 cm thick with bone and marrow)
12 cl /8 tbs olive oil
1 large onion
2 carrots
3-4 celery stalks
2 bay leaves
25 cl white wine
400 g canned diced tomatoes***
50 cl herbal stock
flour
pepper (& salt*)
Parmigiano cheese
gremolada
saffron risotto** or penne pasta**

Make cuts in the rind of the shanks. Brush oil on the shanks. Dust veal shanks in flour. Heat oil in a (preferably) low pot. Brown the veal shanks on both sides, remove from the pan and set aside.
Fry cleaned, washed and chopped vegetables in remaining drippings. Add bay leaf, extinguish with white wine, tomatoes and stir.
Add (salt), pepper, herbs, stock and the shanks. The shanks should be immersed but not covered by the liquids. Simmer for 90 m. (Remove the lid to reduce the liquids).
Put shanks and sauce on a platter. Sprinkle with the gremolada.
Serve with risotto or penne pasta and freshly grated Parmigiano.

Gremolada

For ➍
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbs grated (untreated) lemon zest*
1 bunch parsley, chopped

Finely chop garlic, mix with lemon zest and chopped parsley.
Serve with ossobuco.

*Use other citrus zests instead.

Quick chicken piccata

For ➍
4 chicken breast cutlets, pounded to 0.5 cm thick
1 tbs all-purpose flour
½ ts onion powder
½ ts garlic powder
½ ts salt
¼ ts freshly ground black pepper
2 tbs olive oil
5 cl sweet white wine
1 tbs butter
1 tbs lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
10 cl chicken stock
1 tbs small capers, drained

Combine flour, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and black pepper. Sprinkle evenly on both sides of chicken cutlets.

Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken in one layer and cook on the first side for 5 m, or until golden brown. Turn and brown the other side. Turn only once. (It will cook more later.) Remove to a platter.

Add the white wine to the pan drippings and cook, scraping up the browned bits, until syrupy. Stir in the butter, lemon juice and chicken stock. Cook for 2 m.

Return chicken to the pan, turning to coat both sides with sauce. Simmer until chicken is no longer pink in the center . Sprinkle with capers.

Let rest for 2 m, then serve with pan sauce.

Serve with couscous and asparagus for instance.

'Piccata' is Italian for 'larded'. With food, particularly meat or fish, it means sliced, sautéed, and served in a sauce containing lemon, butter, and spices. The best known dish of this sort is chicken piccata, using chicken, but the term is also used with veal. There are some regional differences.