Spring Peas and Pixies

Wine: Domini Douro 2005

We started with a Salad made with Pixie Tangerines, Almonds, Parmesan Cheese, Medjool Dates, Almond Oil, and Sherry Vinegar. The Pixies have just came into season and are great in a salad.

With the first spring peas every year we make Risi e Bisi. The recipe we use is from Bugialli’s Italy by Giuliano Bugialli. We bought a large amount of fresh peas at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market. All of the pea pods are retained and boiled to infuse the water used to make the rice and peas. The water actually becomes a vegetable stock. In addition the recipe calls for Parmesan Cheese and Prosciutto – we purchased them from The Cheese Store of Silverlake (and Chris provided us with the end of a prosciutto to use in the dish.


RISI E BISI
Rice and Teas Venetian Style
Makes 6 servings
FOR THE BROTH:
1 pound snow peas or, if using fresh peas for the dish, 1 pound of the pods of the peas
16 cups cold water
1 medium-size carrot, scraped and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium-size stalk celery, cut into large pieces
1 very small clove garlic, peeled
5 sprigs fresh Italian parsley, leaves only
Coarse-grained salt
FOR THE RICE:
4 ounces pancetta or prosciutto, in one piece
1 medium-size cipollotto (Venetian white onion) or yellow onion, cleaned
4 Tablespoons sweet butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium-size clove garlic (optional), peeled
15 sprigs fresh Italian parsley, leaxas only
1 pound very small, sweet fresh peas or frozen "tiny tender" peas, not defrosted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups raw short-grain rice, preferably Vialone or Italian Arborio
TO SERVE:
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) sweet butter
6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
Sprigs fresh Italian parsley
Wash the snow peas or pea pods very well under cold running water. In a large pot bring the cold water to a boil with the snow peas or pods, carrot, celery, garlic, and parsley over medium heat. While boiling, add coarse salt to taste, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 50 min¬utes. Strain the broth and discard all the vegetables.
Finely grind the pancetta or prosciutto in a meat grinder and coarsely chop the onion on a cutting board. Place the butter and olive oil in a medium-size casserole set over low heat. When the butter is melted, add the pancetta or prosciutto, onion, and garlic clove, if used. Sauté slowly for about 15 minutes, then add the parsley and mix very well, then add the fresh or still frozen peas. Season with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to medium, add 1 cup of the vegetable broth, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the garlic and discard. Pour in 7 ½ - 8 cups of the broth and when it reaches a boil, add the rice. Mix very well, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 18 minutes. Be sure to have enough broth in the casserole for the rice to absorb to cook completely, with a tiny amount of liquid left; the final texture should be something between a real risotto and i thick bean soup. Remove the casserole from the heat, add the butter and cheese, and mix very veil. (Mantecare—to churn—is the word used to describe the movement of absorbing the butter ind the cheese into the rice.) Serve with the Italian parsley.