Who will win gold is often top of mind when it comes to the Olympic Games. At the Milano-Cortina Winter games, we want to know who skates the fastest, jumps the highest, and wins (or scores) the most points as athletes vie for national honour.

But in Milan, gold—or at least a golden hue—is also found in an iconic dish, risotto Milanese.

Made from humble ingredients (butter, onions, stock, wine and parmesan) and sumptuous ones (saffron and sometimes veal or beef marrow), it’s a creamy, luxurious dish that speaks to the area’s food traditions.

Cucina povera, cucina nobile

Lombardy is an Italian economic and agricultural powerhouse on land that encompasses mountains, freshwater lakes, fertile plains and the Po River Valley.

It’s a key producer of rice and dairy products (there are 13 or 14 Protected Designation of Origin cheeses, including Gorgonzola and Grana Padano). There is beef, veal and pork production, and sizeable, farmed caviar operations.

Temperate crops such as potatoes, onions and cabbage are harvested, while wineries create sparkling wines such as Franciacorta and Oltrepò Pavese.

For cookbook author and owner of culinary tour company Natalina’s Flavours of Italy, Natalina Bombino Campagnolo, Lombardy’s cuisines reflect its land, people and history.

“In general, the regional food of Lombardia, and therefore Milan, is a very rich food,” said Bombino Campagnolo. “It’s wonderful dishes that will stick to your ribs and be hearty in the colder weather.”

Many of those dishes are part of cucina povera (peasant food), where necessity and resourcefulness create delicious and hearty meals from humble and readily available ingredients.

“Cucina povera is poor man’s food,” explained Mike Romanini, chef and co-owner of Amici Restaurant in Cambridge. “You couldn’t afford the veal scallopini, but you could afford the veal shank, and you would bring that home. Obviously, the tougher the meat, the different the cooking process.”

Contrasting cucina povera is cucina nobile. It highlights the influences of Lombardy’s historical Spanish, French and Austrian rulers, featuring expensive ingredients such as saffron and tender, high-quality cuts of meat.

Eat like a Milanese

5 classic dishes from Milan and Lombardy

Ossobuco alla Milanese: Bone-in veal shanks are slow-cooked with aromatics, wine and stock for hours until the meat is tender. The marrow melts into the pot liquor, creating a rich and unctuous sauce. It’s frequently topped with a zesty parsley-lemon- garlic gremolada.

“Normally, when you serve ossobuco the traditional accompaniment would be risotto alla Milanese. So, it’s a hearty dish,” explained Romanini.

Risotto: Made with short-grained rice (arborio or carnaroli), butter, wine and stock. Slow cooking lets rice release its starch. The finished dish should be creamy and fluid (all’onda or “on the wave”) and not clump on the plate.

“If you work the rice properly, that’s the whole point of using that rice. The starch is what makes it creamy,” said Romanini.

Cotoletta alla Milanese: A tender veal cutlet, dipped in egg and dredged in fine breadcrumb, is then pan-fried in clarified butter achieve the proper rich and crispy coating. A squirt from a wedge of lemon cuts its richness.

“It is much like a schnitzel, but you’re using the rib portion, which is a more tender meat than the normal schnitzel,” explained Romani.

Tortelli: Stuffed pastas, often filled with ingredients, like breadcrumbs, cheese, and meat, are shaped in squares, half-moons, rounds, or twists and often served with melted butter, herbs, or cheese. Tortelli di zucca, filled with Mantova pumpkin, is a well-known version.

“In the north, including Lombardia it’s (pasta is) more eggs and flour based with a little bit olive oil and salt. In the south, they use semolina flour and water,” said Campagnolo.

Panettone: Originating in Milan, Panettone is a Christmas staple. The tall, dome-shaped cake is made with an enriched, fermented yeast dough. The crumb is light and airy, and can be studded with dried fruits, nuts, decadent creams or cheeses.

“Christmastime in Milan, all the bakeries that make it have them in the window, all decorated. They’re absolutely pieces of art,” said Campagnolo.

Wild Mushroom Risotto

From: Natalina’s Kitchen: Bringing Homemade Back by Natalina Bombino Campagnolo.

Preparation Time: about 15 minutes

Cooking Time: about 30 minutes

Yield: 4-6 Servings

• 2 cups arborio or carnaroli rice
• 6 cups homemade or good quality chicken stock (no salt or reduced salt)
• 1 cup fresh mushrooms
• 20 grams dry wild mushrooms
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, cut in pieces
• ½ cup parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup virgin olive oil
• 2 small shallots, minced
• ½ cup dry white wine

Soak dry mushrooms in 1 cup of boiling water 10-15 minutes. Remove mushrooms. Pour liquid through a strainer and reserve saved liquid.

Bring the stock to a boil and add the reserved mushroom liquid. Reduce heat to a simmer.

Meanwhile in a hot, heavy-bottomed pot with a large surface area, heat the oil on medium high heat. Add all the mushrooms and shallots and sauté. When limp and fragrant, add the rice. Coat the rice in the oil and “toast the rice” for a few minutes. Deglaze with the wine. Stir and let it evaporate.

Reduce heat to medium. Add 2 ladles of stock. Keep stirring constantly with a flat wooden spoon until most of the stock is absorbed. Continue to add 1 ladle of stock at a time, stirring constantly.

Continue until all but a couple of ladles of stock remain. Taste the rice. It should be almost cooked, but still quite firm.

Add the butter and the parmesan cheese. Stir until incorporated and the butter is melted. Add salt and pepper to taste and 1 more ladle of stock. The rice should be fully cooked now but still al dente.

Risotto should move on the plate when served, so add more stock if needed to achieve this before serving.

Tips:

1. When you toast the rice, it will change colour slightly, but also become translucent around the edges, leaving a white dot in the centre.
2. Keep the stock at a simmer on the hob next to the risotto pan.
3. Only add the next ladle of stock when you can draw a line through the rice with spatula and the rice doesn’t fill back in.