L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES FRANCESCA BEZZONE T h e f i r s t t h i n g s p r i n g i n g t o mind when you'- re served a plate o f r i s i e b i s i (Veneto's dialectal way to s a y " r i c e a n d p e a s " ) i s whether you're about to eat a risotto or a soup. In truth, risi e bisi is a bit of both and it all comes down to the fact that the way risotto is made in Veneto is not quite the same as the way it is made in Lombardia, Italy's self pro- claimed motherland of rice primi piatti. In Milan, you'd toast the rice in hot butter, then cook it slowly adding broth gradually, little by lit- tle: this is pretty much how w e a l l t e n d t o m a k e o u r risotto in Italy. In Veneto, however, rice is cooked dif- ferently, in a way quite simi- l a r t o I n d i a n a n d m i d d l e eastern pilaf, where broth is added all at once. As you will see, making risi e bisi means embracing both traditions: the Milanese and the exotic! R i s i e b i s i h a s a l o n g history, if it's true that it was already popular in the 16th century, when it was often prepared for the Doge himself to celebrate the day of Saint Mark, patron of La Serenissima. As peas are a typical springtime vegetable, the dish was also a way to wish a plentiful future for the people of Venice, a feat strengthened further by the fact rice was often associated with the idea of fertility. It s e e m s t h a t i n t h e g o l d e n years of the Republic, the peas used for risi e bisi came from the Colli Berici in the Vicenza province, a sign of the strong commercial con- n e c t i o n b e t w e e n t h e t w o cities. The pivotal commer- c i a l r o l e o f V e n i c e a l s o e x p l a i n s h o w d e l i c a c i e s s i m i l a r t o r i s i e b i s i a r e f o u n d i n c o u n t r i e s l i k e G r e e c e , L e b a n o n a n d T u r k e y , w h i c h a l l t r a d e d with La Serenissima. Some, however, believe that our risi e bisi, in fact, originated in the Middle East and came t o V e n i c e t h r o u g h B y z a n t i u m ( m o d e r n Istanbul), where rice and vegetables were at the heart of local cuisine. Whichever origin story you want to embrace, the connection with Venice has always been deep, to the point that, in the 19th cen- tury, during the years that were to lead to Italy's unifi- cation and Venice's indepen- dence from Austrian domi- nation, the motto risi, bisi e f r a g o l e r e s o u n d e d w i t h patriotic pathos in the city. Why? Well, it was all about colors: the white of rice, the green of peas and the red of strawberries made up the tricolore of the Italian flag. Tradition says that the first basic rule to follow if you want to obtain the per- fect risi e bisi is that for ogni riso, un biso, that is, one pea for every grain of rice, but truth is there are a number of variations on the recipe. For instance, some books say the ratio between rice and peas should be 1:3, that is for 1 cup of rice, you'd need three of peas. Some v e r s i o n s h a v e p a n c e t t a others don't or leave it up to the chef whether to use it or not; there are recipes calling for a specific type of broth made with pea pods, while others suggest chicken broth o r j u s t l e a v e i t u p , o n c e again, to our personal taste. Modern versions of the reci- pe suggest to use peas that are all pretty much the same size, to create a nice, aesthe- tically pleasing look for the dish, but the old versions of risi e bisi didn't really bother with that: in fact, smaller, s w e e t e r p e a s w e r e u s e d along larger, firmer ones to create a creamier texture (small peas would "melt" into the dish, while the large one would keep their shape) a n d t o g i v e a n i c e , g r e e n color to the dish. Risi e bisi's traditional recipes Ingredients for 4 people: 800 gr (about 2 lbs) of peas in their pod, to obtain about 250/300 gr (2/ 2 1/3 cups) of peas 2 oz of pancetta 1 1 / 4 c u p s o f V i a l o n e Nano rice 1 small onion Grated Grana Padano 4 1/2 tbsp butter Some parsley Salt and pepper to taste Shell the peas and set the pods aside. Wash both peas and pods separately under running water, then put the pods into two liters of lightly sal- ted water, bring to the boil and cook for about one hour, then blend with a blender: this is the broth you'll use to cook the rice. Keep it warm. Chop the onion and the pancetta finely and sauté them with half of the butter. When the onion is golden in color and the pancetta's fat has almost melted away, add the peas with two cups of the broth. Cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon. Add the rest of the broth, stir again, and let cook on a medium heat until the rice is ready. J u s t b e f o r e t a k i n g t h e dish off the heat, add in a handful of finely chopped parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste, the rest of the butter a n d t h e g r a t e d G r a n a Padano. Mix all the ingredients well, and let the risi e bisi rest for a couple of minutes before serving, making sure to keep it warm under a lid! Rice and peas are two ingredients popular in Veneto cuisine (Photo: Photosimysia/Dreamstime) A dish fit for a Doge: Veneto's risi e bisi

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