A comforting mishmash of east and west: shortgrain rice and peas from Italy, cooked in a miso and ginger broth, and topped with a minty dressing
Today’s recipe is the love child of Italian risi e bisi and my beloved congee. Risi e bisi is a tender, starchy Venetian rice and fresh pea soup that’s traditionally served to mark the start of spring (and St Mark’s Day), while congee is a thickish, soothing rice-soup of sorts that can be served in multiple ways. Here, I’ve taken elements of both: arborio rice and peas from Italy, cooked in a miso and ginger broth and topped with a fresh mint, vinegar and sesame oil, to create close to my perfect comfort food and the best of many worlds.
