Homemade Panissa

The Panissa is a special risotto made in Piedmont.
It is a typical dish made in Vercelli and Novara, where rice is produced in large quantities. The special salame used in this preparation is called Salam ‘dla duja. Duja is a container full of lard where the salame is preserved. In fact because the area of production is damp, due to the numerous paddy fields and the curing of the meat necessitates dry air, the salami are  preserved in the duja covered with lard until they are mature and ready to be eaten.
The panissa is a hearty dish containing meat, cereals, vegetables and herbs. It takes time and care to prepare, and results into a creamy risotto with full-bodied flavors and with a discerning taste.

Inspect dry beans for any small stones or foreign article, rinse well. Soak the beans in a large pot with plenty of water for 24 hours, changing the water two or three times.

In a 5 ½ quart sauté pan, place 1 tablespoon of oil, diced onion, celery, carrot, garlic and a piece of prociutto skin or a teaspoon of lard. Cook over a medium heat for a few minutes stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent.

Add drained beans, bay leaves, rosemary and enough water to be 3 inches above the beans.  Add the salami and salt and pepper to taste. Heat to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer covered for 1¼ hours, stirring occasionally.

Transfer the salame into a dish; crumble it, after removing the skin, also mince the prociutto skin and set on the side.
Use a strainer to separate the beans from the broth and reserve it to use for cooking the rice. Discard garlic, celery, bay leaves, and rosemary.

Over a medium heat, simmer the broth from the beans.
Over medium-high heat, in a 5 ½ quart sauté pan combine the olive oil, with the butter and onion: cook for a few minutes, until onion is translucent, but no more than 5 minutes.
Add the crumbled salame and the minced prociutto skin, sauté for an additional 2 minutes and add the rice.
Stir rice until it is well coated and turns translucent about 2 minutes. Add the red wine and simmer.
When wine is almost absorbed, ladle some of the hot bean broth into the rice stirring occasionally until the broth is absorbed.
Add more broth, a little at a time as the liquid is absorbed.
Cook the rice for 15 minutes and add the beans and the diced pancetta. Continue cooking and add more broth as needed until rice is cooked al dente: total time 20 minutes or continue cooking it until the rice is cooked the way you like it.
Remove from the heat, add 2 tablespoons of grated cheese and gently turn for about 1 minute.
Serve immediately with the remaining Parmesan cheese and black pepper on the side.
Gattinarawine produced in the hills near Vercelli, or a young Barbera wine with fresh and intense aroma or else a clean soft and fruity Dolcetto wine.