During a recent visit to her Italian hometown, TABLE Magazine contributor Sara Ghedina spent some time in the kitchen sharing a handful of traditional foods from the Veneto. In addition to this risi e bisi tasty dish, try Sara’s recipes for Bigoli in Salsa, Braised Chicken and potatoes Pollo in Umido, and traditional marinated sardines Sarde in Saor.
What’s a Risi e Bisi (Rice and Peas) Recipe?
Comfort food at its best – we can safely say this is the region’s most famous of all risotto. In the days of the Venetian Republic, people ate Doge on April 25, the feast of Saint Mark and the Venetian national holiday.
Like all risotto, it is pretty simple but needs care and attention while cooking. You need to add the liquid little by little and never stop stirring to ensure that the rice cooks evenly.
In the Veneto region, risotto is served all’onda, “on the waves.” In fact, it means with quite a lot of liquid: the finished product should ripple like the ocean current, and be liquid enough to make it almost pourable, yet maintain its classically creamy consistency.
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Risi e Bisi (Rice and Peas)
- Yield: Serves 4
Description
This dish is traditionally made with fresh new peas available in spring. You can substitute them with frozen peas if out of season, but avoid canned ones.
Ingredients
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 1 lb frozen or 2 lb fresh peas
- 8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 10 oz Carnaroli or Arborio rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Bring vegetable stock to a simmer in a medium pot; keep warm over medium-low heat. Bring a medium pot of water to boil, cook the peas for about 2 minutes (if using fresh ones, shell them first), drain, and set aside.
- Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan, add half of the onion, and cook it for 10 minutes, stirring constantly and adding a bit of stock if needed. Add peas and cook them for 7 to 8 minutes, adding a bit of stock as required. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, turn the heat off, cover, and set aside.
- Heat the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot, add the rest of the onion, and cook it at low heat for 10 minutes until it becomes translucent. Bring the heat to be high, add rice, and let it cook, constantly stirring, until some grains are translucent about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add white wine and cook, stirring the whole time, until pan is almost dry about 3 minutes, and then season with salt and pepper. Ladle in 2 cups of broth, then turn the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until broth is absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Ladle in another 2 cups broth and continue to cook, stirring again, until most of the broth is absorbed 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add reserved peas and cook, adding more broth as needed and stirring to the very end until the rice is ready. Turn off the heat and add butter and grated Parmesan cheese, stirring vigorously until it becomes creamy. Add 2 tablespoons of stock, stir well, season with freshly ground black pepper, and serve.
Story and Photography by Sara Ghedina
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