Saffron is one of the key ingredients of risotto. It was first introduced to Abruzzo by a Jesuit priest returning from Spain, where he was working with the Inquisition. His brother successfully raised the autumn crocus from which saffron is produced on the Plain of Navelli, an area of somewhat scrubby flat fields amongst the mountains, where saffron farms are still found. The plant has a small pale purple flower, and it is the yellow stigma which is used to make saffron. It is said to have medicinal properties, as a relaxant or stimulant – and many claim it has aphrodisiac properties. Abruzzo is one of two places in Italy where this precious crop is grown. Buy it for this recipe either in powder form or as dried threads of the stigmas to be pounded just before use.