What to Order When Visiting (or Dreaming of) Milan
You may already be a fan of Italian cuisine, but Milan boasts sumptuous dishes far removed from Mediterranean style. Uniquely richer, heartier, and designed to warm you from within, Milanese cuisine is comfort food like no other. Here are our unmissable favourites.
Risotto alla Milanese
Located in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, Milan is short of 1,500 kilometers (or 11 long hours) from the Mediterranean Sea. As such, the city’s cuisine vastly differs from the Mediterranean region, typically defined by zesty flavors, tomatoes, olive oil, and fresh herbs.
Instead, food in Milan is more similar to wintry neighbors like Switzerland, Germany, and Austria, boasting sauces, butter, stews, mushrooms, meat, and rice. Further, Milanese food is fondly described as intense “survival” dishes, originally intended for those who need to work through northern Italy’s cold weather and have to burn vast amounts of calories.
Milan is full of restaurants that offer its most traditional eats, so when you’re here, it won’t be difficult to sample them. But if your visit to Milan is still TBD, TBA, or TBC, try these dishes at your local Italian jaunt to experience a bit of Milan while you wait.
Risotto alla Milanese
Rice is used in many local dishes in Lombardy, and in this region it is as staple as pasta in other parts of Italy. There are numerous variations of risotto, of course, but the Milanese style uses the expensive and delicate saffron, which gives this creamy risotto version a characteristic bright yellow color and unique flavor. A single tablespoon of saffron makes all the difference.
Minestrone alla Milanese
Some say the concoction of Minestrone will tell you exactly where you are in Italy. So in Milan — following our first item on the list — rice is used in place of pasta.
In the winter, Minestrone alla Milanese is served hot, and in the summer, it’s served cold.
The rice is cooked in broth together with a bevy of heartwarming vegetables, whichever is in season, including cabbage, celery, spinach, parsley, tomatoes, and more.
Cotoletta or Costoletta alla Milanese
A tender veal cutlet coated in crunchy breadcrumbs and then fried, Cotoletta is an unforgettable treat every time you have it. The bone itself is not cut out but also fried, adding a decorative touch.
The veal is fried rigorously in butter (never in oil), enlivening the meat flavor.
Some restaurants may offer Cotoletta without a bone but in a very big portion that barely fits the plate. They call it orecchio d’elefante or elephant’s ear.
Cassoeula
During the colder months, when the body seeks steaming-hot goodness, Cassoeula becomes more prominent in menus. It is a cabbage and pork stew that makes use of everything you can get out of the pig. Usually described as one of the Italians’ head-to-tail recipes, Cassoeula includes the pig head, feet, ears, and more.
It is traditional to have Cassoeula every January 17th, the feast day of Saint Anthony the Abbot, the patron saint of pigs and butchers. Popularly known as a poor man’s dish, Cassoeula originally was served following the celebration of the slaughtering of the family-raised pig; in fact made from the leftovers of the feast.
Ossobuco
You may have realized now that Milanese cuisine is heavy on meat, meat, and meat, and now we have another fabulous veal dish. Ossobuco is cross-cut veal shanks braised in a mixture of onions, carrots, celery, white wine, and broth. It is often garnished with Gremolata, a green sauce made of chopped parsley, lemon zest, and garlic, and served with Risotto alla Milanese or Polenta (next on our list).
Translating to “bone with a hole,” Ossobuco boasts a jelly-like marrow at the centre of the bone that melts in the mouth. This is obviously sinful but the flavor and texture are heavenly.
A block of Polenta
Polenta
Pasta is not as popular in northern Italy, so rice and potatoes provide the starch especially during winters. Essentially a cornmeal, Polenta can be served as soft as a porridge or as solid as a loaf that is later cut, fried, baked, or grilled.
Polenta is popularly paired with mushrooms, minced meat, and tomato sauce, or with Gorgonzola dolce, which is a creamier variety of blue cheese.
Gorgonzola
Speaking of Gorgonzola, this Lombardy cheese made from unskimmed cow’s milk is typically produced in 2 ways. First is the spicy Gorgonzola Piccante or Mountain Gorgonzola. Aged for 6 to 12 months, this version has a strong, intense, and sharp flavour.
The creamier Gorgonzola is the Gorgonzola Dolce, which is ideal to add to risotto or polenta.
Gorgonzola is one of the 4 varieties of cheese that top the pizza ai quattro formaggi that you probably usually order at home. In Milan, many locals love to eat it with green apples.
