When life gives you saffron, make a risotto!

I love risotto. But for whatever reason, I've not made it in ages. Mr. R gave me saffron threads for my birthday in March and has been after me to use some ever since. So, I decided to make something that would show off the saffron without overwhelming it - a saffron risotto. I did a bit of research and landed on a Mario Batali recipe that didn't require unusual ingredients (beyond saffron) and didn't add in too much other "stuff" to take away from the saffron flavor, a Risotto Milanese.

First, we chop the onions:
And measure out the precious saffron threads:
The onions go into a large saute pan with some olive oil, while the saffron goes into the chicken stock to "infuse" the stock:Once the onions have softened, you add the arborio rice and let that get coated with oniony flavor. Then wine - then you start adding the bright yellow saffron/chicken stock - one ladle at a time. Here we are midway through adding the entire amount of stock:
And at the end. The arborio gives off starch to make a creamy texture.
Then, you add in a few handful of grated Parmesan and some butter at the end. Obviously, I needed more Parm before eating:
This was a tasty, basic risotto. To be honest, the saffron didn't blow me away. I could smell it in the finished product, but it didn't add any flavor. I guess Mr. R and I are used to jazzier risottos - stuff with some pancetta, or else a butternut squash/sage mix. It was a fairly subtle set of flavors. I'll keep my eye out for saffron recipes in the future!