Risi e Bisi alla Veneziana

Risi e bisi is not risotto. I must say this at the beginning because Americans see rice and assume risotto technique applies. It does not. This is older than risotto, simpler than risotto, and served so loose it nearly drinks from the spoon. The Venetians call this texture 'all'onda,' like a wave. If your risi e bisi holds its shape on the plate, you have failed.

The dish belongs to spring. For centuries, it appeared on the table of the Doge on the feast of San Marco, April 25th, made with the first tender peas from the gardens of the lagoon islands. The peas of the Veneto are small and sweet, nothing like the starchy specimens found in American supermarkets. If you cannot find fresh peas at the height of their season, do not make this dish. Wait. Some things cannot be forced.

What makes risi e bisi Venetian is the broth. True cooks simmer the empty pea pods to extract every whisper of flavor before discarding them. Nothing is wasted. The pods give sweetness and body to the liquid that the rice will absorb. This is peasant economy elevated to palace cuisine.