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Risi e bisi
Risi e Bisi
Risi e Bisi
ph. Wei-Duan Woo CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 via Flickr
Risi e bisi is a very classic Venetian recipe, made with fresh spring peas and rice, a cross between a thick soup and a liquid risotto, traditionally served to the Doge on April 25, the Feast of St. Mark's, patron saint of Venice.
To make an authentic risi e bisi (the original recipe was registered at the Venice Chamber of Commerce in 2013) you need to use Vialone Nano rice, an ancient variety of rice grown in Italy that will yield a creamier result for its higher starch content (read a short history of rice in Venice). If made properly, risi e bisi should have a loose, somewhat soupy consistency, referred to as all’onda (rippling).
The rice most appreciated by the Doges was the rice of Grumolo delle Abbadesse or that of the Verona area, while the best peas for the dish were the peas from Lumignano, in the Vicenza area, an extremely delicate and tasty local variety of peas, the earliest to mature thanks to the mild climate.
INGREDIENTS (serves 4):
300g vialone nano rice
500g fresh young peas, shelled
2 white onions, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic
5 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
50g butter
5 tbsp parmesan, finely grated
stock
salt and black pepper
PROCEDURE
- First, prepare a chicken stock, preferably the day before, with celery, carrot, onion, a clove of garlic, a sprinkle of salt. Cook the peas for ten or fifteen minutes until water is absorbed. Season with salt. Add the rice and cook, adding stock (previously filtered), a ladle at a time, as needed.
- In a heavy-based saucepan, place the oil, the shelled peas, the onions cut into thin pieces, the chopped parsley, half a glass of water.
- Cook until the rice is al dente, take off the heat.
- Stir in the butter and the parmesan, season with pepper and add broth as needed.
- When ready, make sure the mixture is runny, like a thick soup. (Recipe published on the website of the Italian Academy of Cuisine).
