Panissa Vercellese
A hearty Vercelli rice dish slow-cooked with tender Saluggia beans, savoury salam d'la duja sausage, and robust red wine.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 580 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven
- •Large saucepan
- •Wooden spoon
- •Ladle
- •Chef knife
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 580 kcal
- fat
- 24 g
- carbs
- 68 g
- fibre
- 6 g
- protein
- 21 g
- calories
- 580 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Simmer the soaked Saluggia beans in water until tender, then reserve the hot bean broth.
- 2
Melt the chopped lardo in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat until it renders completely.
- 3
Add the chopped onion and fry gently for six minutes until soft and sweet.
- 4
Stir in the crumbled salam d'la duja and fry for three minutes until fragrant.
- 5
Add the rice and toast for two minutes until the grains are glossy and hot.
- 6
Pour in the red wine and bubble vigorously until the alcohol completely evaporates.
- 7
Fold in the cooked beans along with a ladle of the hot bean broth.
- 8
Simmer steadily for sixteen minutes, adding hot bean broth ladle by ladle as it absorbs.
- 9
Remove from the heat when the rice is tender with a slight bite and fairly dry.
- 10
Beat in the butter and grated Grana Padano, then season with freshly ground black pepper.
- 11
Rest covered for two minutes before serving immediately on warmed plates.
Chef's tips
Use the starchy cooking water from the beans rather than plain stock for the deepest colour and authentic body. Keep the dish slightly drier and denser than a loose Venetian risotto.
Ingredient substitutions
- salam d'la duja → coarse fresh Italian pork sausage mixed with a pinch of cured lardo
- Saluggia beans → standard dried borlotti or cranberry beans
- Barbera red wine → dry Nebbiolo or any robust, high-acid dry red wine
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Reheating
Gently reheat in a pan with a splash of hot water or broth over medium-low heat, stirring constantly.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Using white wine instead of red, which robs the dish of its signature dark, rustic hue.
- •Making it too liquid; panissa should be noticeably firmer and less soupy than Novara's paniscia.
- •Discarding the bean cooking liquid, which provides the essential earthy base.
Serving suggestions
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