Cookbook review by Tracey Zabar
Cook your way through Italy with some pasta grannies. I love this simple variation of risotto. It’s perfect for dinner on a cold evening. Next on my list: this Nonna Honey is going to make Anna Maria’s Ziti alla Genovese and Ida’s Chocolate Bunet, a pudding with caramel.
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Recipes excerpted with permission from Pasta Grannies: Comfort Cooking by Vicky Bennison, photos by Emma Lee, published by Hardie Grant Books.
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GIULINA’S RISI E BISI
RICE AND PEAS FROM VENETO
PREP 1 hour
SERVINGS 4
1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) peas in the pods, or 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) frozen peas
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
320 g (111/4 oz/scant 2 cups) risotto rice, preferably Vialone Nano
4 heaped tablespoons finely chopped parsley
40 g (11/2 oz) unsalted butter
60 g (2 oz) Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
salt
black pepper (optional)
Giulina’s name was a misspelling of Giulia by the registrar in charge of recording births in Venice. She has kept the erroneous ’n’ for the fun of it. Before she retired, she had a career catering for the primary school children of Venice; apparently her pasta and beans was a favourite. But she is also famous for her risi e bisi, or rice and peas, a dish which is typical of the Veneto region.
She lives in Murano, an island just a short ferry ride from Venice; tourists flock there for its glass blowing, but devoted vegetable lovers get off at the next stop, the lesser-known island of Sant’Erasmo. It is a small, crocheted vegetative blanket of market gardening, laden with produce and struggling to stay afloat in the lagoon. It’s where Giulina sources her organic peas; she thinks organically-grown ones are essential because you want to make a stock from the pods. This makes it a seasonal treat!
We spent a jolly afternoon with Giulina and her friends who dropped by, discovering Venetian women are welcoming, earthy, love a good laugh and the chance to celebrate. So we all had a glass of wine and within minutes, it was a risi e bisi impromptu party.
If you’re using peas in pods, shell the peas and place the pods in a saucepan with plenty of water. Cover and simmer gently for about 1 hour until they’re very soft. Alternatively, use a pressure cooker to speed up the process. Scoop out the pods and pass them through a food mill, scraping the resulting purée back into the water to create the stock. Season with salt to taste and keep warm in a saucepan over a low heat.
If you don’t have access to fresh peas, you can use frozen ones instead. Place 1.2 litres (40 fl oz/5 cups) of water with 300 g (101/2 oz) of peas into a saucepan and bring them to the boil with 4 g – 2 heavy pinches – of salt. Cover the pan and cook the peas for 8 minutes. Strain them, allow them to cool for 2 minutes, then purée until very smooth.
Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over a medium heat, add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 5–7 minutes until softened but not browned. Add the rice and the remaining fresh peas: how many is up to you. Sauté the mixture for a few minutes until the grains are semi-translucent. Add half the parsley; keep frying, season with salt, then start adding in the stock 2 ladlefuls at a time. Add more stock when the rice starts to dry out. If you are using frozen peas, add them now.
You’re aiming for a sloppy risotto. Once the rice is cooked – it should be al dente but not chalky in the middle – take the pan off the heat and stir in the rest of the parsley, the butter and Parmigiano. Let it rest, covered, for 3–5 minutes; if it thickens up too much, stir in a little more stock. Serve with more cheese and some black pepper if you like.
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