Risi e Bisi

Toasted Rice-Tea Risotto, Pickled Red Prawns, Green Peas, Pea Tendril Purée, Rice-Pancetta Crispies

Chef Felipe Riccio of March | Houston, TX

---

Adapted by StarChefs  |  October 2025  |  Photo: Will Blunt

INGREDIENTS

Pea Tendril Purée:
Yield: 200 grams
Kosher salt
200 grams pea tendrils

Rice-Pancetta Crispies:
Yield: 260 grams
240 grams diced pancetta
60 grams genmai
60 grams granulated honey
12 grams urfa chile
24 grams dried roselle, ground
30 grams freeze-dried peas, lightly crushed

Toasted Rice Broth:
Yield: 4 kilograms
148 grams genmaicha

Toasted Rice-Tea Risotto:
Yield: 1.425 kilograms
Neutral oil
400 grams risotto rice
4 grams kosher salt
200 grams white wine

Pickled Red Prawns:
Yield: 200 grams
125 grams kosher salt
40 grams granulated sugar
8 grams dill pollen
200 grams red prawns, peeled
Grapeseed oil
50 grams distilled white vinegar

Prawn Stock:
Yield: 6.5 kilograms
400 grams shrimp shells
200 grams grapeseed oil
175 grams unsalted butter
500 grams fennel
300 grams leeks
100 grams shallots
10 grams garlic
300 grams white wine
5 grams fennel seeds
5 grams Sarawak peppercorns
200 grams shiro dashi

To Assemble and Serve:
Yield: 1 serving
10 grams lardo, cut into ¼-inch cubes
8 grams softened butter
15 grams green maesil
Kosher salt
25 grams blanched green peas
Parsley pea tendrils

METHOD

For the Pea Tendril Purée:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch pea tendrils 30 seconds, then immediately shock in an ice bath. Pat dry, squeezing out excess water, and transfer to a Vitamix Commercial blender. Add 50 grams Toasted Rice Broth and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.

For the Rice-Pancetta Crispies:
In a sauté pan over medium heat, cook pancetta until crisp. Strain and let cool. In a mixing bowl, combine pancetta, genmai, honey, chile, roselle, and peas. Transfer to an airtight container and reserve. 

For the Toasted Rice Broth:
In a saucepan over medium heat, bring 4 kilograms water to a simmer. Add tea. Remove from heat and let steep 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and let cool.

For the Toasted Rice-Tea Risotto:
In a saucepan over medium flame, heat oil. Add rice and toast until golden brown. Deglaze pan with wine. Cook until au sec. Working in batches, add 2 kilograms Toasted Rice Broth, stirring constantly. Cook until rice is just al dente. Season with salt. Remove from heat and let cool.

For the Pickled Red Prawns:
In a mixing bowl, combine 100 grams salt, sugar, and dill pollen. Set aside. In a nonreactive container, combine prawns with 15 grams of the reserved cure. Let sit 10 minutes at room temperature. In a saucepan over medium-high flame, heat oil to 145°F. Add cured prawns and poach 3 minutes. Let cool. In a mixing bowl, combine vinegar, remaining 25 grams salt, and 75 grams water. Set aside. Slice prawns into ½-inch rounds and submerge in pickling liquid. Cover and refrigerate.

For the Prawn Stock:
In a rondeau over medium heat, add shrimp shells and oil. Toast until shells are dry and brittle. Add butter and cook until butter has lightly browned. Add fennel, leeks, shallots, and garlic. Cook until vegetables are lightly softened, scraping the fond from the bottom of the pan. Deglaze pan with wine. Add fennel seeds and peppercorns. Cook until au sec. Add shiro dashi and 10 kilograms water. Let simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Strain through a chinois and let cool.

To Assemble and Serve:
In a small pot over medium heat, render lardo. Add 40 grams Toasted Rice-Tea Risotto and 45 grams Prawn Stock. Cook, stirring constantly, until rice is tender and creamy. Stir in 30 grams Pea Tendril Purée and butter. Stir until mixture is fully emulsified. Season with green maesil and salt. Add peas and 30 grams Pickled Red Prawns. Cook until peas and Pickled Red Prawns are warmed through. Place a 3-inch ring mold in the center of a serving plate. Fill with Toasted Rice-Tea Risotto mixture. Top with 6 grams Rice-Pancetta Crispies. Garnish with parsley pea tendrils.

---