THE REAL RISOTTO OF GIUSEPPE VERDI

Among the many typical Verdi’s Risottos found in books and menus, none of them cite a reliable source.

The restaurant of the Corale Verdi in Parma, the Corale Verdi’s Bistrot, and its chef Mario Marini, could never have included one of those risottos on the menu. This is how chef Marini explains it:

«Only one has the seal of approval: the saffron risotto that Giuseppina Strepponi suggested in a letter to the director of the Paris Opera to appease the Maestro, who was indignant about the organisation of an opera in that theatre. This is the real Verdi’s Risotto.»

Verdi was not only a great musician: he was also a refined gourmet. This is how his friend Giuseppe Giacosa described him in 1889: not greedy, but refined, with a “magnificent and skilful” table. The cuisine of Sant’Agata, his beloved estate, “deserved the honour of the stage”. The Maestro loved to procure his own food and often spent time in the kitchen. A famous caricature by Melchiorre Delfico depicts him in Naples, wearing an apron and holding a steaming saucepan, macaroni or, who knows…perhaps his risotto.

In September 1896, to appease him, Giuseppina sent the real recipe to Verdi’s impresario Camille Du Locle, recommending above all the amount of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese: “three good handfuls”, the final touch dear to the Maestro.

The preparation is faithful to that letter: fresh butter and marrow (from beef or veal) with a little onion. When browned, Piedmontese rice is added and toasted over high heat until it takes on a beautiful golden colour, then cooked by gradually adding good meat broth. Halfway through cooking, half a glass of natural, sweet white wine is added. Along the way, add three handfuls of grated Parmesan cheese, one after the other. When it is almost cooked, dissolve a pinch of saffron in a spoonful of broth, add it to the risotto, stir and remove from the heat; pour into a tureen. If you have truffles, chop them finely and sprinkle them over the dish like cheese; otherwise, use cheese alone. Cover and serve immediately. The other “Verdi-style” recipes are not so clearly documented. Here, however, we have a living source: the words of Giuseppina, the table of Sant’Agata, the taste of the Maestro. Today, that risotto, in its original version, can be tasted at the Corale Verdi’s Bistrot in Parma: the most direct way to encounter the real Verdi on your plate.