Panissa alla Vercellese

If you are using dried beans, leave them to soak in cold water overnight

To cook the beans, fill a large saucepan with water, add the carrot, celery, onion and pork rind and bring to the boil. Do not salt the broth as this will affect the texture of the beans and the flavour of the dish later on

Add the beans and reduce the heat. Simmer for 1–1½ hours until al dente – they will be cooked more in the rice later so don’t overcook them at this stage or they will turn to mush when added. Strain the beans and set aside, reserve the cooking broth in a pan set over a very low heat

Heat a small amount of oil in a pan. Add the chopped onion and cook gently until soft and translucent, you want to avoid letting the onion colour. Add the pork fat and allow it to melt into the onion

Remove the salami from its casing, add to a food processor and blend until finely chopped

Add the chopped salami to the pan and cook everything together gently for a few minutes

Add the rice and a pinch of pepper. Toast the rice over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes, making sure to stir constantly to prevent the rice from burning. At this stage, season with a small amount of salt, but bear in mind the salami and pork fat are already quite salty

Add the tomato paste, stirring so that it coats the rice and caramelises. Cook for 2–3 minutes to cook out the acidity

Add the wine, stirring continuously and allowing the alcohol to evaporate

Start adding splashes of the reserved hot bean broth. Add just enough to cover the rice in the pan, stirring continuously in a figure of eight shape to prevent sticking and to build up the starch in the dish

As soon as the rice begins to dry out, add more of the bean broth, stirring constantly

After about 10 minutes, heat up the reserved beans. Remove a ladle of the beans from the pan and blitz to a smooth cream. Add the creamed beans and the whole beans into the rice

Repeat the process of adding in the stock for 15–18 minutes until the risotto is creamy and the rice is al dente. Remember not to salt the risotto until the end of the cooking as is easy to over-salt the dish

Remove the pan from the heat, making sure there’s a fairly even ratio of solids and liquids, if needed add a little more stock. Cover the pan with a tea towel and leave to rest for a few minutes

Add in the chilled butter, stirring together well, and shaking the pan to create a wave shape in the risotto, so the butter emulsifies into the risotto. Add the cheese and mix well. Serve in warmed bowls