Cesare Battisti
Biography
Cesare Battisti, a Milanese chef born in 1971, is renowned for his traditional cuisine, reinterpreted through a modern and sustainable approach. After gaining experience in luxury catering and aboard cruise ships, he returned to Milan and, in 2009, opened Ratanà with Danilo Ingannamorte, one of Italy’s first contemporary osterias. Here, he began offering Lombard cuisine made with local ingredients and innovative techniques, thereby promoting responsible and environmentally sustainable catering. A member of the Alleanza dei Cuochi Slow Food since 2010, he has served as Chef Ambassador for Expo 2015 and Secretary of the ‘Ambasciatori del Gusto’ association. After Ratanà, he opened several new establishments, including Remulass, a vegetarian bistro, Pastificio Ratanà for fresh pasta, and Silvano, which focuses on natural wines. His commitment is reflected in the decalogue ‘Sustainability behind every rhetoric,’ a philosophy that demonstrates his respect for small producers and his desire to promote Made in Italy to the world.
Risotto Vecchia Milano
Ingredients
- 250 g Riserva San Massimo Carnaroli rice
- 800 g meat broth
- ½ onion
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 60 g mountain butter
- 80 g grated Lodigiano cheese
- 20 saffron threads
- 1 sachet of saffron powder
- 8 tablespoons of brown stock
- ¼ of grated lemon peel
- 1 sprig of parsley
- 4 anchovy fillets
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 4 pieces of veal shank bones containing marrow
Preparation
GREMOLATA GREEN SAUCE
Finely chop the parsley, rosemary, anchovies, and lemon peel.
RISOTTO
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan. Add the whole onion and cook over low heat until softened. Remove the onion and add the rice, toasting it until translucent. Begin cooking by gradually adding the filtered meat broth. After about 6 minutes, add the saffron powder and saffron threads, stirring constantly. After 14 minutes of cooking, turn off the heat and stir in the cold butter and cheese. Let it rest for 2 minutes.
PLATING
Serve the risotto with the veal shank bone containing marrow, cooked in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for 5 minutes. Add two tablespoons of brown stock and the gremolata.
