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Risi e bisi primavera
Serves 4-6 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 500g peas in pods (gives about 180g peas)
- 100g sugar snap peas
- 500ml vegetable or chicken stock
- 3 sprigs mint
- 3tbsp olive oil
- 50g salted butter
- 1 white onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste with 1⁄2tsp salt crystals
- 350g Riso Gallo carnaroli rice
- 75ml dry fruity white wine
- 80g parmesan, freshly grated
- 150g crème fraîche
- few pea shoots, if available
- extra virgin olive oil, to serve
Method
Shell the peas and put aside, wash the pods and put in a saucepan with 650ml water. Bring to a simmer until the pods soften, then lift them out with a slotted spoon. Add the peas and sugar snaps and simmer for 2 minutes, lift them out with a slotted spoon into a colander and refresh under cold, running water. Leave to drain. Put the chicken stock and mint in with the pea stock and heat until boiling. Turn off the heat.
Put the oil and half the butter in a heavy-based medium saucepan. Add the onion and garlic paste and sweat on a medium heat for about 5 minutes until the onion softens. Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil and butter. Add the wine and let it bubble for a few minutes until almost evaporated. Add the hot stock a ladle at a time. Once absorbed add more, stirring frequently. It will take about 20 minutes to use all but a ladleful of the stock, which you need to keep for finishing the dish. Remove the mint sprigs.
Take the sugar snap peas from the colander, slice them in half lengthways and put aside. Add the podded peas, the rest of the butter and the parmesan to the rice and stir. Turn off the heat and leave for 5 minutes. Put the crème fraîche in a bowl. Add the reserved stock and sliced sugar snap peas to the rice, then stir. Serve with a little crème fraîche, scatter with pea shoots and spoon over a little extra virgin olive oil.
Italian risotto with a melange of spring peas. Timings for the peas are based on using very fresh young peas; allow a little longer if they are older.
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