Risi e Bisi Veneziano — Rice and Fresh Pea Soup

Ingredients

• For the pea pod broth
• 1 kg fresh peas in the pod, shelled, pods reserved — spring peas only, as small and sweet as possible
• 1.5 litres water, lightly salted
• For the risi e bisi
• 80 g pancetta, diced small
• 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
• 30 g unsalted butter, for the soffritto
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 320 g Vialone Nano rice, Venetian variety; Carnaroli or Arborio may be substituted but alter the texture
• 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• For the mantecatura
• 40 g unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
• 60 g Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated

Method

1. 1
   Shell the peas, retaining every pod. Place the pods in a large saucepan with 1.5 litres of lightly salted water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 20–30 minutes. Strain, discard the pods, and keep the broth hot over low heat. The broth is ready when it is pale green, fragrant, and carries a clear sweetness of raw garden peas.
2. 2
   In a wide, heavy saucepan set over medium heat, warm the butter and olive oil together. Add the pancetta and cook until the fat begins to render and the pancetta colours lightly. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent — do not allow it to brown. Add the shelled peas and parsley and stir to coat. The soffritto is ready when the shallot is fully soft and the pancetta is lightly golden.
3. 3
   Add the Vialone Nano rice to the pan and stir continuously for 2 minutes over medium heat, until each grain is coated in fat and the outer surface turns faintly opaque. The rice is toasted when it gives off a faint nutty scent and no raw starchy smell remains.
4. 4
   Begin adding the hot pea pod broth one ladle at a time, stirring continuously and allowing each addition to be absorbed before the next. This is the step on which the dish lives or dies: the broth must be added generously enough that the mixture remains distinctly looser than risotto at every stage — risi e bisi moves freely in the pan and never pulls away from the sides in a solid mass. Continue for 15–16 minutes, adding broth as needed; the rice should finish barely al dente and the preparation should be almost soupy — far more liquid than a conventional risotto. If it holds its shape when a spoon is lifted through it, too much liquid has been absorbed or lost.
5. 5
   Remove the pan from the heat. Add the cold butter and Parmigiano and stir vigorously — this is the mantecatura. The finish should be generous. The risi e bisi is ready for the bowl when the butter has fully melted into the liquid and the surface carries a faint gloss, yet the preparation flows readily from a spoon poured into a flat soup bowl.