Risi e Bisi

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Risi e bisi—rice and peas—is Venice's most historically significant dish, a soupy risotto served on April 25th (the Feast of Saint Mark, Venice's patron saint) to the Doge and his court as the ceremonial opening of spring. The dish occupies a unique position between risotto and soup—thinner than risotto but thicker than broth, flowing off the spoon in a consistency the Venetians call 'all'onda' (wavy)—and represents the Venetian approach to rice that differs markedly from the thicker, creamier risottos of Milan and Piedmont. The canonical preparation uses the first tender spring peas (piselli novelli) from the gardens of the lagoon islands, particularly Sant'Erasmo (Venice's 'garden island'). The pea pods themselves are simmered to make a flavourful broth, which becomes the cooking liquid for the rice—nothing is wasted. A soffritto of onion and pancetta (or guanciale) is sweated in butter, the shelled peas are added briefly, then Vialone Nano rice (the Veneto's preferred variety, which absorbs liquid while maintaining a firm centre) is toasted and the pea broth is added in stages. The cooking is faster than a traditional risotto—the consistency should be decidedly soupy, with the rice and peas swimming in a verdant, pea-perfumed broth. The mantecatura with butter and Parmigiano finishes the dish, which should pour from the spoon onto the plate rather than mounding. Fresh flat-leaf parsley is stirred in at the end. The dish is fundamentally about the peas—they must be spring-fresh, sweet, and tender, and their flavour should dominate. Outside of spring pea season, risi e bisi is simply not worth making.

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