**Risi e Bisi: A Delightful Italian Union of Rice and Peas**
Risi e bisi (pronounced REE-zee eh BEE-zee), meaning "rice and peas" in Italian, is a classic dish that embodies the simplicity and charm of Italian cooking. Originating from the northeastern region of Veneto, this flavorful dish is a symphony of textures and flavors that showcases the humble ingredients of rice and peas. Join us on a culinary journey as we explore the traditional and modern interpretations of this iconic Italian dish. Discover the secrets of achieving that perfect balance between the soft, starchy rice and the vibrant, tender peas, while exploring variations that introduce delightful twists to this timeless recipe. From classic risotto-style preparations to hearty soups and refreshing salads, let's delve into the world of risi e bisi and uncover the culinary treasures it holds.
RISI E BISI | AUTHENTIC VENETIAN RICE AND PEAS
"Risi e Bisi" simply means Rice and Peas in Venetian dialect. It's a main dish typical of the Venetian cuisine, especially of the cities of Venice and Vicenza, now spread throughout northern Italy. This Italian rice and peas recipe is a real comfort food, a mix between a risotto and a soup. It should be soft and creamy, neither too dry nor too runny. Risi e Bisi is a typical spring dish, because of the fresh peas served with their pods. In fact, the authentic Venetian recipe calls for the use of the pods in the preparation of this dish. This is the very feature that makes this plate special! Risi e Bisi is a complete, rich dish, so much so that you can even think of it as a single dish. In fact for this recipe you must add even pancetta, butter and parmigiano cheese, to make it richer and creamier.
Provided by Recipes from Italy
Categories risotto recipes
Time 1h40m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Make a vegetable broth and set aside. Then shell the peas, keeping the pods aside. Wash the pods under running water.
- Boil the pods in lightly salted water for about 45 minutes. Once cooked, blend them with an immersion blender until they are a thick puree. Then pour the puree into a colander to collect the liquid and remove the fibrous part. Keep the liquid thus collected warm and set aside
- Chop the onion and cut the pancetta into small pieces. Place the oil, half the butter, onion and pancetta in a large skillet. Sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Then add the chopped parsley as well.
- Add the peas and two ladles of broth. Cook for about 5 minutes. Then add the green juice made from the pods, season to taste with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Then, lower the heat and add the rice.
- Cook slowly for about 15 minutes. While cooking, stir risi and bisi from time to time and, if they get too dry, add more broth. When the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and add the other half of the butter. Then add the grated Parmigiano cheese and stir. The authentic Venetian recipe for Risi e Bisi is ready
Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 100 g, Calories 398 calories
RISI E BISI, ITALIAN RICE AND PEAS
Steps:
- Sauté shallots: Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the shallots and stir to combine. Let these sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Heat stock and water: Meanwhile, heat up the stock and 1 cup of water in a small pot. You want this at a simmer while you make the rice.
- Add garlic and prosciutto to shallots: Add the garlic and the diced prosciutto to the pot with the shallots, stir well and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add rice: Pour in the rice, stir again and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Slowly ladle in stock: Ladle some of the hot stock into the pot and start stirring. Risi e bisi is cooked like risotto, and is supposed to be pretty soupy, so you need a lot of water and you need to stir it constantly. Let this first ladle of stock cook down before you add the next. Keep adding stock, letting it cook down and stirring until you're done with the simmering stock. It is likely that you may need at least one more cup of water to finish the dish, because all that stirring in an open pot means you evaporate more liquid than you would when you cook rice the normal way, i.e., covered. If you think you are going to need more water, add more to the simmering stock.
- When you get to this last cup of water, add the peas: Keep stirring until the water has almost cooked away. Taste some rice and test for salt and doneness: Add a little salt and some more hot tap water if the rice is still crunchy - you want the rice to be a little al dente, but not so much you're gnawing on raw grain.
- Add the parsley and the parmesan and mix well: Your finished rice should be slightly soupy, so it's OK to add a tad more water before serving. Links: Risi e Bisi with Baked Prosciutto Chips - from Sippity Sup Rice and Peas Salad - from The Nourishing Gourmet
Nutrition Facts : Calories 279 kcal, Carbohydrate 30 g, Cholesterol 25 mg, Fiber 4 g, Protein 15 g, SaturatedFat 3 g, Sodium 1226 mg, Sugar 6 g, Fat 11 g, ServingSize Serves 4, UnsaturatedFat 0 g
RISI E BISI
The classic Venetian dish of rice and peas known as risi e bisi makes for a perfect springtime Sunday lunch. This version includes the addition of baby zucchini, which is an acknowledged departure from tradition but a mighty delicious one. The desired final consistency is loose, almost brothy, not tight and creamy like risotto nor drippy like a zuppa. The Venetians use the term "all'onda," a reference to the swell of waves in the sea. Short-grain rice helps get that distinct starchy quality, but the rice can't do the job by itself; there has to be stirring throughout. Pour yourself a glass of a good Soave while you stir. You can have a nap after lunch, which is totally traditional.
Provided by Gabrielle Hamilton
Categories brunch, dinner, lunch, grains and rice, vegetables, main course
Time 35m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Heat broth in a small pot on the back burner over medium-low.
- Set a wide, shallow, long-handled pan over medium-low. Melt 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil until butter foams. Set the remaining 1 tablespoon butter back in the fridge to keep cold.
- Add scallions, season with a pinch of salt and stir until sweated and soft, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add zucchini coins, season with a pinch of salt, and stir until they start to sweat, begin to soften and become a little translucent, about 2 minutes.
- Push vegetables out to the edge of the pan in a ring, leaving an empty space in the center. Adjust heat - a tad hotter - then add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, then rice. Stir rice until coated and glistening, and keep stirring until it begins sizzling slightly.
- Microplane the garlic over the sizzling rice, then draw the vegetables into the rice as well, stirring well to combine, leaving a little space - a moatlike ring - along the edges where the vegetables were.
- Add the peas to the empty outer space you just created. Run your spoon through them, keeping them in their outer ring, coating them in the oil and moisture. Season the whole business with another pinch of salt.
- Ladle a generous cup of hot broth over the rice mixture in the center, seasoning with salt at each addition of broth, and stirring as the liquid is absorbed. Add another generous cupful of broth, stirring the rice while it absorbs. Repeat once more with a third cup of hot broth, stirring until the rice starts to show signs of its signature starchy and creamy nature. Keep the peas at the outer edge as much as possible. (This might remind you of making homemade pasta, when you are whisking the eggs in the well of the flour and very slowly drawing in the flour.) This entire step should take about 20 minutes. Adjust the heat slightly along the way for a very gentle, hot steaming - not hard simmering - stirring all the while.
- Add the remaining broth all at once. The peas and vegetables will slightly float on the surface, while the rice will naturally remain submerged. Stir gently or shake and swirl the pan in the classic cresting, swelling wave style, all'onde, bringing everything together - rice, zucchini, peas, broth - about 7 more minutes, maybe 10 at most.
- Turn off heat. Season assertively with black pepper. Stir or swirl in the remaining chilled butter, and finish with the grated cheese. Serve hot.
RISI E BISI (ITALIAN RICE AND PEAS) (RICE COOKER)
I love this recipe. You can use fresh or frozen peas with this. Using fresh peas, add them at the beginning. If you are using very young and tender fresh peas or frozen- add at the end. You can expect this rice to have the texture and consistency of a creamy risotto. From The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook.
Provided by Bev I Am
Categories Medium Grain Rice
Time 35m
Yield 4-5 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Set Rice Cooker for the quick cook or regular cycle.
- Place the olive oil and butter in the rice cooker bowl.
- When the butter melts, add the shallots and celery.
- Cook, stirring a few times, until the shallots are softened but not browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the wine and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with the hot butter.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the grains of rice are transparent except for a white spot on each, 3-5 minutes.
- Add the stock and peas, if you are using fresh, mature peas; stir to combine.
- Close the cover and reset for the Porridge cycle, or for the regular cycle and set a timer for 20 minutes.
- When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle or the timer sounds, stir the rice with a wooden or plastic rice paddle or wooden spoon.
- The rice should be only a bit liquid and the rice should be al dente, tender with just touch of tooth resistance.
- If needed, cook for a few minutes longer.
- This rice will hold on the Keep Warm cycle for up to 1 hour.
- When ready to serve, add the peas, if you are using frozen or very tender fresh ones; stir just to combine.
- Add the butter and close the lid or 2-3 minutes to allow to melt and the peas to heat through.
- Stir in the cream, cheese and salt to taste.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 330.5, Fat 15.2, SaturatedFat 7, Cholesterol 33.9, Sodium 371.2, Carbohydrate 35.1, Fiber 3.5, Sugar 6.8, Protein 12.2
Tips:
- Use high-quality ingredients: The better the quality of your ingredients, the better your risotto will be. Use fresh, flavorful vegetables, a good quality stock, and a creamy, nutty cheese.
- Cook the rice slowly and carefully: Risotto is a labor of love, and it takes time to cook properly. Don't rush the process, or you'll end up with a mushy, overcooked mess. Cook the rice slowly and carefully, stirring frequently, until it is creamy and al dente.
- Use the right amount of liquid: The amount of liquid you use will depend on the type of rice you are using and how creamy you want the risotto to be. A good rule of thumb is to use about 3 cups of liquid for every cup of rice.
- Add the cheese at the end: Once the rice is cooked, stir in the cheese until it is melted and creamy. Don't add the cheese too early, or it will become tough and rubbery.
- Serve immediately: Risotto is best served immediately after it is cooked. If you need to make it ahead of time, you can reheat it gently over low heat, stirring frequently.
Conclusion:
Risotto is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed for lunch, dinner, or as a side dish. With a little practice, you can easily master the art of making risotto at home. So next time you're looking for a comforting and flavorful meal, give risotto a try!
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