Venice, Veneto. The annual presentation of risi e bisi to the Doge on April 25th (St Mark's Day) is documented from the 14th century. The peas came from the island of Sant'Erasmo in the Venetian lagoon, renowned for the sweetness of their soil.
Risi e bisi is the Venetian doge's spring dish — traditionally presented to the Doge of Venice on St. Mark's Day (April 25th) using the first peas of the season from the market gardens of the Venetian lagoon. It is neither risotto nor soup — it occupies a middle ground called 'all'onda' (wavy), liquid enough to pour slowly but with body from the rice. The pea pods are simmered to make the cooking stock, which is then used to cook the rice — concentrating the flavour of the season into the dish.
The pea pod stock concentrates an essence of fresh peas — bright, grassy, sweet, impossibly seasonal. The rice absorbs this stock and carries the flavour through every grain. Butter and Parmigiano add richness without masking the pea. This dish exists only in its season and its season is brief.
Use the freshest sweet garden peas available — this dish does not work with frozen peas or old peas (the sugar has converted to starch). Shell the peas; simmer the pods in light stock (chicken or vegetable) for 20 minutes, strain — this is the risi e bisi cooking liquid. The soffritto is onion and pancetta in butter; add the peas early and cook them until just tender with the soffritto before adding rice. The rice cooks in the pod stock — add ladle by ladle as with risotto but the final consistency is wetter than risotto. Finish with butter and Parmigiano — but keep it flowing.
If peas are not at their absolute peak, add a teaspoon of sugar to the pod stock to compensate. The pod stock can be made in advance and frozen; use it only for this dish. Serve immediately in warmed bowls — risi e bisi absorbs liquid as it sits and 'tightens' within minutes. The dish should look wet and flowing when served.
Using frozen peas — they lack the fresh sweetness that defines the dish. Treating it like risotto (allowing full absorption to a thick consistency) — risi e bisi should flow slowly when the plate is tilted. Skipping the pod stock — using commercial vegetable stock misses the entire flavour point. Overcooking the rice — it should be al dente, slightly firm, not mushy.
Giorgio Locatelli, Made in Italy; Marcella Hazan, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking