Photo credit Joanna Nissim

This Easy Saffron Risotto Has a Fascinating Jewish History

Risotto giallo is a delicious testament to the resilience of Italian Jewish culture.

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Following the expulsion of the Jews from Spain and Portugal during the 1500s, the Jews dispersed, and many settled in Antwerp and the Netherlands. These areas were central to the trading industry and many Jews became spice traders until they had to leave. Many settled in Italy, who gave refuge, which led to a rich Jewish Italian culture, composed of Ashkenazi, Sephardi and Mizrachi Jews who brought their spices and flavors with them. 

The Jews settled in areas such as Napels and the south, Venice and Rome. Sicily still sees the Middle Eastern influence within their cooking, with ingredients like raisins and spinach, and spices such as cinnamon and saffron. Fast forward several hundred years, and the Jews found themselves living in the Venetian Ghetto with restrictions on their freedom of movement and employment, and so, in true Jewish style, they made something wonderful from very little. 

Claudia Roden explains in her book “Jewish Cookery” that Venetian Jews were known for creating wonderful risotto with whatever vegetables they could find, and were famed for using artichokes, peas, spinach and courgette. For special occasions they used pieces of chicken or kosher sausage. The Jews also had their own way of cooking risotto that was more like a pilaf, where they added the stock in one go, rather than the traditional Italian way of adding stock drop by drop. This is another indication of the Middle Eastern influence on Italian Jewish culture and cuisine.

Though the Jewish community was not rich, they had access to spices, and so saffron was used in the risotto for a special Shabbat treat. It was often served as a first course, and the neutral risotto was the perfect backdrop to showcase this special spice. For me, risotto is up there as one of my all-time favourite comfort foods, and adding saffron is such a decadent treat. It’s a wonderful accompaniment to any roasted fish or poultry for main course, too. In some Italian restaurants, saffron risotto is served with a tomato and aubergine ragu, simply placed in the centre of the rice, making a wonderful vegetarian option.  

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This recipe is simple and can be adapted to be vegetarian or meaty and much like our ancestors, with whatever vegetables are currently in the fridge. Though the Jewish community was renowned for adding their stock in one go, I like to do it the Italian way by adding bit by bit and only adding the next once the previous ladle has been absorbed. I find that this gives the risotto a creamy texture and is somewhere between a soup and a bowl of rice. For the days that I make the vegetarian version of this dish, I love nothing more than adding an indulgent spoon of butter and a hefty grating of parmesan to make it extra unctuous.

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Photo credit Joanna Nissim

Risotto Giallo del Shabbat (Yellow Risotto for Shabbat)

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A rich and comforting risotto infused with saffron and adaptable for any occasion, inspired by centuries-old Jewish Italian cooking traditions.
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • olive oil, to fry
  • 150 g arborio rice
  • ½ tsp saffron
  • 3 ice cubes
  • 1.5 pints of chicken stock or vegetable stock
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 tsp of butter or extra-virgin olive oil (depending on if this is a vegetarian dish)
  • 50 g of parmesan, grated (optional)

Instructions

  1. Put the saffron in a small bowl and add the ice cubes. Let them melt and bloom together.
  2. Heat up the stock, either in the microwave or on the stove over a gentle heat. Once warm, keep to one side. 
  3. Heat the oil in a pan on the stove over medium heat. Add the onion to the oil, frying gently until the onion has sweated down.
  4. Add the rice and stir well until the grains are coated, 3-4 minutes. 
  5. Once you hear the rice start sizzling, add the bloomed saffron and mix until the liquid has been absorbed. 
  6. Once the liquid has absorbed, add the stock ladle by ladle, waiting for each to be absorbed before adding the next. By the time that the liquid has been used up, the rice should be soft but al dente, and unctuous.
  7. If using vegetarian stock, add a knob of butter, (extra-virgin olive oil if using chicken stock), cover and leave to rest, off the heat, for 5 minutes to marry together. 
  8. Serve with grated parmesan (optional).
  • Author: Joanna Nissim
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Quick
  • Cuisine: Sephardi

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