Risotto Allo Zafferano (Saffron Risotto)

This is a Jamie Oliver recipe from his new cookbook "Comfort Food" and is bloody delicious. He suggests serving it with Ossobuco Alla Milanese (cross-cut veal shanks), but they are impossible to get where I live, so I stuck with risotto on its own.

Ingredients:
1.2 litres fresh chicken stock (best quality you can afford)
1 onion
1 celery heart
2 knobs of unsalted butter
1 good pinch of saffron threads
450g Arborio risotto rice
200ml Pinot Bianco or Verdicchio (white wine)
80g Parmesan cheese
extra virgin olive oil


Method:

Pour your stock into a pan on low heat and leave it there to simmer, it needs to be hot when you need it.

Peel the onion. Click off 6 celery sticks and return them to the fridge, you need the central yellow heart bit. Finely chop with the onion and put into a large high-sided pan on a medium-low heat with one knob of butter. Cook for 15 minutes, or until soft, but not coloured, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, put the saffron threads in a bowl and cover with a small ladleful of hot stock.

Stir the rice into a pan for a couple of minutes, then turn the heat up to medium- high, add the wine and cook it away completely, then add the saffron stock and stir for a few minutes until absorbed. Add the remaining stock a ladleful at a time, only adding more once each ladleful has been nearly absorbed and stirring regularly for 16 minutes in total or until the rice is cooked and a pleasure to eat, but still holds its shape. Add a final splash of stock to give you a loose, oozy consistency.

Remove from heat, beat in remaining knob of butter and finely grate in most of the parmesan, then season the risotto to taste. Cover with a lid and leave to sit for 2 minutes, then stir well. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and remaining parmesan. And don't say I didn't warn you about it being delicious!