Rizi Bizi
Rizi Bizi (risi e bisi) is a very popular Croatian side dish. It is made using green peas and is usually served with meats and sauces.
History:
Rizi Bizi is a classic Venetian dish, which was prepared and served only on feast days. This was done in accordance with a decree passed by the Doge (ruler) of Venice.
PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes
COOK TIME: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- English Peas-1.5 kg(freshly shelled)
- Pancetta-several slices
- Onions-2
- Large carrots-2 (peeled and chopped)
- Rice(short grained)-2 cups
- Parsley(fresh flat leaved)-2/3 cup
- Parmesan cheese-freshly grated
- Olive oil-2 tablespoons
- Chopped Celery stalks-2
- Salt-to taste
- Freshly ground pepper-to taste
PROCEDURE:
- Unpod the peas. You will need approximately 3 and a half cups.
- Put the pods, the carrots, one of the onions and the celery in a large saucepan.
- Add water until it completely covers the contents. Heat the saucepan on low heat.
- Simmer the contents for about half an hour till the pea pods become tender.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat.
MAKING THE PUREE:
Blend the pea pods and vegetables separately in a blender. Add little water and blend both ingredients together.
- If you find the puree very fibrous, strain it using a sieve or a food mill. The puree should be thin enough to be absorbed by the rice.
In addition, you will need 6 cups of broth for making the rizi bizi, so add vegetable broth to the puree to achieve the required amount of broth.
TIP: To prepare a richer Rizi-Bizi, use Meat broth instead of vegetable broth. Pour the broth into a saucepan and heat on a low flame. Bring to a boil.
- Take another saucepan and warm the oil over medium heat. Now sauté the remaining chopped onion and half of the parsley, for about 8 minutes until it softens.
- Add the rice and stir for about 3 minutes until the rice becomes opaque.
10. Add about 1 cup of boiling broth to the saucepan and continue adding the broth one spoon at a time. Stir for a couple of minutes until all the liquid is absorbed by the rice.
NOTE: While adding the broth, reduce the heat and add the broth one spoon at a time. Also, add some butter to enhance the taste. Make sure the rice absorbs the liquid each time you add the broth. Also, the rice kernels should be creamy on the outside. This will take approximately 20 minutes.
11. Now before you add the last 2 spoons of broth, add the peas.
Add some more butter and whole rice. Sauté it until the rice becomes greasy with butter. Now add water, salt and pepper. Usually, manufacturer’s measures for cooking rice is 1:3 (rice: water), Follow this ratio for best results. However, the ratio of rice to water may differ for different rice varieties. Cook rice by stirring occasionally until it is done to your liking. Grease a casserole pot with butter. Put the rice in it and put the casserole pot in a preheated oven (180°C) for 15 minutes. Serve hot. You can also serve it as a main course dish.
Finally, sprinkle salt and pepper. You can also season with chilly flakes if you wish to give the dish a spicy flavor. A moist and creamy, green colored rizi bizi is now ready. If you use freshly harvested baby peas, the resultant dish will be a lovely pale green colour. Serve hot, with meat and your favorite sauces. Rizi-Bizi tastes even better when served with roasted or fried chicken.
- Lovina Raymond.
Tags: Recipes, rizi bizi, rizi bizi recipe
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