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Risi E Bisi

A savory dish of arborio rice, peas, prosciutto, and Parmesan cooked in chicken stock.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 10 ingredients
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Why it works: Pepper and parsley match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 34,122 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓

Risi E Bisi

Time15 minutes for the peas

Ingredients

Directions

Cook the peas

  1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium-sized pan.

  2. When it has just melted, add peas.

  3. Turn heat down as low as possible and cook peas covered about 15 minutes. Do not overcook.

  4. Set aside.

Make the rice

  1. Heat chicken stock until it starts to steam, then lower the heat and have it ready.

  2. Melt remaining butter in a large heavy pot.

  3. When melted, add minced onion and sauté over medium heat until translucent.

  4. Add prosciutto and then the rice.

  5. Sauté for 3 minutes or until grains take on a translucent color.

  6. Begin adding the hot stock a ladleful at a time, stirring constantly.

  7. Continue stirring until stock is absorbed by the rice.

  8. Continue adding stock until rice is plump and not too soft.

  9. Taste for seasoning, adding salt as needed, then pepper.

  10. Gently stir in the parsley and cooked peas and cook for another 2 minutes.

Serve

  1. Turn into a serving dish and sprinkle with half the Parmesan.

  2. Reserve the rest to be added separately at the table.

  3. Serve immediately.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

696Calories
51 gProtein
23 gFat
69 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Rice1 cup cooked (158g) white206
Chicken100g cooked165
Parmesan Cheese1 oz (28g)110
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Pea1/2 cup (72g)62
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Parsley1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g)1
Salt1 tsp (6g)0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Pepper + parsleytop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together34,122 recipes

    Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

  2. Chicken + ricetop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together4,769 recipes

    Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).

  3. Chicken + oniontop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together17,814 recipes

    Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).

  4. Onion + parsleytop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together25,843 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

  5. Onion + ricetop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together10,433 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Arborio rice
Its high starch releases slowly during stirring, giving the rice a creamy texture while grains stay distinct.
Chicken stock
Supplies the liquid that the rice absorbs, cooking the grains and adding savory flavor.
Butter
Adds fat and richness, coating the rice grains and building a smooth, silky mouthfeel.
Parmesan cheese
Adds salty, savory depth and helps create a creamy texture when melted into the rice.
Peas
Add sweetness and a fresh, bright flavor and color to the finished rice.

The step that matters

Adding the stock gradually. Adding hot stock a ladleful at a time and stirring lets the rice release starch and absorb liquid evenly. Adding too much at once or stopping stirring can leave the rice soupy or unevenly cooked.

Swap the peas

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, chicken, onion, prosciutto, rice, pepper, parsley):

  1. Beansfits better
  2. Sesamefits better
  3. Black-eyed peafits about as well
  4. Peasthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against butter, chicken, onion, prosciutto, rice, pepper, parsley. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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