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Venetian style Rice and Peas Recipe (Risi e Bisi)

Beans and Sradines
September 20, 2023 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, Central European recipes, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easter, Easter dish, Easter recipes, Easy recipe, entrée course, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, festive dish, first course, first course dish, first course meal, healthy mael, hearty dish, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, main course, main dish, one pot meal, one pot meat recipe, recipe from Northern Ital, Risotti, Risotto, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Starters, supper, Vegetables, Venetian dish

This springtime speciality dish Risi e Bisi, meaning rice and peas in Venetian dialect, originated in the north-eastern region of Veneto in Italy. It is a dish that has been long disputed in the culinary world whether it is a very ‘runny’ risotto or a very ‘thick’ soup, and hence whether you should eat it with the fork or with a spoonBeing a risotto or a soup, this dish is absolutely delicious, incredibly satisfying and deeply rooted in the history of the region. It has such a profound cultural significance to the point of being celebrated by the Venetian poet Domenico Varagnolo:

To bless the holy spring,

which makes a garden a paradise,

all I need is a soup bowl,

a soup bowl of our own risi e bisi...

There, in hundreds of tiny little globes,

I savour a tender green jewel of the earth

scattered in a white sea of tender smiles.

Risi e Bisi was one of the key dishes, among a menu of more sophisticated foods and fine wines, that used to be served at the Doge's banquet (Doge is the highest official of the republic of Venice for more than 1,000 years, from the 8th to the 18th century, and symbol of the sovereignty of the Venetian state) on April 25th to mark and celebrate Venice's patron Saint, St. Mark, the Evangelist, since he is the saint who evangelised the people of the Veneto.

This traditional dish served on a feast day also marked the period approaching Easter, the end of winter, and the arrival of Spring, which provided the very first peas in the new season, renowned for being small, sweet and tender.

This dish has been very popular and very much loved along the Slovenian coastline where it is known as Rizi e Bizi. This should come as no surprise since this area is bordering with Italy and was once dominated and ruled by the majestic La Serenissima (‘The most Serene Republic of Venice’) which left behind a significant “foodprint” in the region.

A pea and rice dish is a very family friendly meal and was cooked by my mother on a regular basis when the peas where in season and at their best. Shelling the peas was worth the effort since the final dish is divine in its simplicity and humbleness.

This recipe has remained one of the top favourites among family and friends. Try to make it and you will understand what the fuss is all about and why the Doge requested it every year at his palace...

This is not the dish I would normally cook in springtime as peas are a long way off in the UK where I currently live, but are widely available a bit later in the season. It is well worth waiting for them, and you will end up with unbeatable (late) summer or early autumn supper!

Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 4

  • 1 kg fresh young peas in their pods, shelled (can use 400g of frozen petits pois)

  • 1.2 litres good vegetable, chicken or beef stock

  • 4 Tbsp olive oil

  • 1 small onion (about 100g), peeled and finely chopped

  • 50-100g pancetta (salt-cured pork belly) or ham, cubed

  • 250g risotto rice like Vialone Nano, Arborio or Carnaroli

  • 40-50g Parmiggiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese, freshly finely grated

  • small handful of fresh flat leaf parsley leaves (about 15g), finely chopped and some extra for garnish

  • a knob of butter, optional

  • sea salt

  • black pepper

Method

Before starting to make the risotto have your boiling hot stock ready to hand for later.

Pour the oil in a low-sided pan, add finely chopped onions and cubed pancetta.

Cook for a few minutes until the onions become soft and translucent and the pancetta begins to release its fat.

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Add the peas and the chopped parsley, sauté for a few minutes, stirring constantly and making sure that the mixture does not start to stick to the bottom of the pan.

Season with black pepper and add roughly a glass of stock.

Cook the mixture over a fairly high heat so that the liquid evaporates quickly.

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Add more stock and the rice. Cook, stirring constantly to prevent sticking to the pan, until the first amount of liquid is absorbed.

Start gradually adding ladles of hot stock, one at a time, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more.

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Cook on a medium heat, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is cooked and ready, and the mixture has a distinctly runny consistency.

Finish the dish with a typical Italian “mantecare phase” (when the rice is cooked, remove the saucepan from the heat, add a knob of butter (if using), and finely grated Parmiggiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese. Stir quite vigorously with a wooden spoon to obtain a creamy consistency).

Taste and adjust the seasoning with black pepper (if using) and the sea salt, but the latter might not be necessary since the stocks from the stores, generally speaking, pancetta and the cheese contain salt already.

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Serve immediately while still hot and distinctly runny in consistency.

Ladle onto the plates and sprinkle with some roughly chopped fresh parsley to garnish (optional).

Just a thought

A variation of this recipe, which further refines the dish, involves the use of the empty pea pods which get washed, placed in pan with a plenty of cold water and boiled for roughly an hour.

Then they get drained in a colander and the inside of the shells get scraped with the spoon obtaining the green paste which is added to the onion, pancetta, pea and parsley mixture.

I have not been familiar with this process and made aware that this is only done if the peas are organically produced.

Apparently, all the pesticides residues concentrate on the inside of the pea shell and the farmers are very keen on the use of the chemicals as peas are particularly susceptible to pests.

Wine suggestion

Soave Classico DOC "Vin Soave" 2022 - Inama

September 20, 2023 /tina oblak
Risi e bisi, Rizi in bizi, Rice and Peas, fresh young peas, peas in pods, frozen petits pois, pancetta, salt-cured pork belly, ham, risotto, risotto rice, pea risotto, Vialone Nano rice, Arborio rice, Carnaroli rice, Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese, Grana Padano cheese
Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, Central European recipes, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easter, Easter dish, Easter recipes, Easy recipe, entrée course, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, festive dish, first course, first course dish, first course meal, healthy mael, hearty dish, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, main course, main dish, one pot meal, one pot meat recipe, recipe from Northern Ital, Risotti, Risotto, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Starters, supper, Vegetables, Venetian dish
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Cooked ham in bread dough Recipe

Beans and Sardines
April 06, 2022 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, Appetizers, baked dish, baking, breakfast, brunch, Celebratory dish, Central European recipes, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, Easter dish, Easter treats, easy baking, Easy recipe, Enriched dough, entrée course, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, festive bakes, Festive dish, Finger food, home baking, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, main course, main dish, Meat, Mitteleuropean cuisine, Mitteleuropean dish, Mitteleuropean food, Mitteleuropean recipes, Rustic dish, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Starters, Easter, Easter recipes

Cooked ham in bread dough is a real show stopper and a crowd pleaser, this recipe goes back to medieval times when it was customary cooking various types of meats in bread dough.

This dish consists of a piece of ham being cooked first and then wrapped in bread dough and baked in the oven allowing the aroma and the flavours of the ham to travel into the dough during the baking process.

On the Slovenian coast, where I come from, there is no Easter without this dish. This baked delicacy is so deeply rooted in Slovenian gastronomic culture that it is traditionally cooked and eaten around Easter period (with freshly grated horseradish or horseradish cream and mustard) and served as part of Easter breakfast on actual Easter day, in just about every corner of the country, together with hard boiled eggs, Pinca (Easter sweet bread) and Potica (traditional Slovenian festive nut roll).

This dish is also typically found in Trieste, and province of Trieste in Italy, in local osterie (informal, usually family run eating places serving simple local specialities), on a daily basis and typically served with a a glass of wine or locally produced artisan beer.

I studied in Trieste and had this dish on my graduation day as part of the buffet.

This recipe is so popular and delicious that it is nowadays enjoyed all year round, it is also ideal for picnics, as it can be made ahead of time and travels well.

Ingredients

Serves

For the dough

  • 500g strong white bread flour

  • 7g (one sachet) fast-action dried yeast

  • sea salt, a pinch

  • 300ml lukewarm milk (full fat, semi skimmed or skimmed)

  • 25g butter, unsalted or slightly salted, melted

You also need

  • 1.4kg, roughly, unsmoked or smoked Gammon joint

  • 1 carrot, optional

  • 1 celery stick, optional

  • ½ onion, optional

  • 1egg, beaten

  • a bit of extra milk (about 2 Tbsp)

Method

Place the ham in a big pot and add enough cold water to completely cover the ham.

Add a whole carrot, celery stick and half an onion for extra flavour, if desired.

Bring to boil, lower the heat, cover with the lid and gently boil for required time, this will depend on the size of the ham. (Weight your meat to calculate and work out your cooking times, allow 20 minutes per 450g)

While the ham is cooking, make the dough. (You can cook the ham in advance and wrap it in aluminium foil to keep it moist, and use when needed.

Drain cooked ham in a colander and let it cool completely.

Pat dry the ham well with the kitchen paper.

Put the flour in a large mixing bowl, add dried yeast on one side of the bowl and sea salt on the other. Add the milk, melted butter and mix to combine well all the ingredients.

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The dough at this point will be a bit sticky, but should not be soggy. The dough will become less sticky as you knead.

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Transfer the mixture on to a lightly floured (or lightly oiled) work surface and knead for about 10-15 minutes until the dough is nice and smooth and has an elastic texture. Your hands should not stick to the dough, if they do add a bit of flour at a time.

Put the dough in a lightly oiled large bowl and cover with a cling film. Stand in a warm place, free of drafts, and let it rise for at least 1-1 ½ hours until the dough has doubled or tripled in size.

Turn the dough on to lightly floured surface and knock back by hand for few minutes. Flour well the surface and with the rolling pin roll the dough to about 2cm thick. At this point you can pinch a bit of dough for decorating if you wish (I made a little dough plait, as it is done traditionally).

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Preheat the oven to 180C static or equivalent and line the baking tray with the non stick baking parchment.

In a small bowl mix the beaten egg with a bit of milk and brush the centre of the rolled dough.

Place the ham in the centre on the brushed area.

Brush the rest of the ham with egg and milk mixture.

Wrap the ham with the dough all around, a bit like a parcel. Seal well the edges to avoid the dough opening up during the baking.

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Place your ham and dough parcel on a baking tray with the junctions facing downwards.

Glaze the ham and dough parcel on all sides with the egg and milk mixture.

Prick the ham and dough parcel with a toothpick.

If you created a small Easter themed dough decoration, place it on top of the dough parcel and brush with egg and milk mixture.

Put the ham dough parcel in the preheated oven and bake for 60 minutes. Half way the baking time cover with aluminium foil and bake further until golden in colour.

View fullsize Ham in bread dough 13.jpg
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Take out of the oven, leave to cool on the baking tray for a few minutes, then remove from the baking tray and leave to cool on a wire rack.

Best served warm with horse radish sauce, freshly grated horse radish root or/and mustard.

Wine suggestion

Collio Pinot Bianco DOC 2020 - Doro Princic

April 06, 2022 /tina oblak
ham, cooked ham, gammon joint, unsmoked gammon joint, smoked gammon joint, Easter bread, cooked ham in bread dough, prosciutto in crosta, kuhana sunka v testu, Easter breakfast, Easter brunch
Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, Appetizers, baked dish, baking, breakfast, brunch, Celebratory dish, Central European recipes, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, Easter dish, Easter treats, easy baking, Easy recipe, Enriched dough, entrée course, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, festive bakes, Festive dish, Finger food, home baking, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, main course, main dish, Meat, Mitteleuropean cuisine, Mitteleuropean dish, Mitteleuropean food, Mitteleuropean recipes, Rustic dish, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Starters, Easter, Easter recipes
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