Golden Saffron Risotto with Roasted Bone Marrow and Lemon Gremolata

⏱ 70 min · Serves 4

This is Milan on a plate, dialled up to full drama: a silky, saffron-stained risotto crowned with wobbling, buttery roasted bone marrow and cut clean through with a sharp lemon-parsley gremolata. Rich, glossy and genuinely restaurant-worthy — the sort of dish that makes the whole table go quiet.

Per serving: 790 kcal · 24.0g protein · 63.0g carbs · 48.0g fat

Ingredients

• 4 beef marrow bones, cut lengthways (canoe cut), about 800g total
• 1.2 litres good beef or chicken stock
• Large pinch saffron threads (about 0.4g)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 40g unsalted butter, plus 50g cold butter to finish
• 1 small onion, very finely diced
• 300g carnaroli or arborio rice
• 120ml dry white vermouth or white wine
• 70g Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 30g panko or coarse dry breadcrumbs
• Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon, plus a squeeze of juice
• 20g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
• Flaky sea salt, to finish

Method

1. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan. Scrape any surface debris from the cut marrow bones, pat dry, season the marrow generously with salt and pepper and sit them cut-side up in a roasting tin.
2. Warm the stock in a pan. Ladle a little into a small bowl, add the saffron and leave to steep and bloom — it should turn deep orange.
3. Toast the breadcrumbs in a dry frying pan with a teaspoon of oil until golden and crisp, then tip into a bowl to cool. Mix with the lemon zest, parsley and grated garlic for the gremolata; season lightly and set aside.
4. In a wide heavy pan, heat the olive oil and 40g butter. Sweat the onion with a pinch of salt over a low heat for 8 minutes until soft and translucent but not coloured.
5. Add the rice and stir for 2 minutes until the grains are hot and the edges look glassy. Pour in the vermouth and stir until fully absorbed.
6. Add the saffron stock, then continue adding hot stock a ladleful at a time, stirring often and only adding more once the previous addition has almost gone. This takes 17–18 minutes; the rice should be al dente with a loose, flowing sauce.
7. Meanwhile, roast the bones for 15–18 minutes, until the marrow is soft, glossy and bubbling at the edges but not collapsed and melted away. Rest 2 minutes.
8. Off the heat, beat the cold butter and Parmesan into the risotto vigorously (mantecare) until it ripples like lava. Check the seasoning, add a squeeze of lemon and loosen with a splash more stock if needed.
9. Spoon the risotto onto warm shallow plates and spread it out with the back of the spoon. Scoop the marrow from the bones in generous nuggets over the top, or lay a bone alongside for people to dig out themselves.
10. Shower with gremolata, a little flaky salt and extra Parmesan, and serve immediately.