A moulded dome of rice baked around braised pigeon, unmoulded at the table like a savoury cake. Parma's grandest old-fashioned dish, revived by the city's younger kitchens.

Bomba di riso descends from the baroque timballi of the Farnese and Bourbon courts, filtered through the farm kitchens of the Parma Apennines where pigeon was the festive meat. The rice shell is enriched with butter and Parmigiano, the filling is pigeon braised with its livers, and the whole is baked in a buttered mould until it holds its shape. Nearly extinct by the 1990s, it has returned on revival menus, Brisla's Bib Gourmand kitchen among them.

Where to eat Bomba di riso in Parma

1 editor pick for Bomba di riso in Parma, ranked by editorial score. All Parma signature dishes · Bomba di riso across every city.

Book food experiences in Parma

Tasting and Biking Parma★ 5.0 (239)

Viator · 4 h

Tasting and Biking Parma

Enjoy a easy bike tour to visit a Parmigiano Reggiano cheesefactory and see all production chain, to know the secrets of this great cheese and the huge storage with th...

fromEUR 90 Check dates

See all 242 food experiences in Parma

More places near Brisla Trattoria

Not on this list, but close by, nearest first. Every one is in our guide with its address, hours and what to order.

Make it at home

Serves Serves 63 hrAdvanced

Ingredients

  • 2 pigeons, jointed, livers reserved
  • 500g Carnaroli or Vialone Nano rice
  • 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery stick
  • 150ml red wine and 300ml broth
  • 120g butter plus more for the mould
  • 120g grated Parmigiano Reggiano
  • 2 eggs, breadcrumbs, nutmeg, salt

Method

  1. Brown the pigeon with the vegetables, add wine and broth, and braise gently for an hour; add the livers for the last 10 minutes, then strip and chop the meat into its reduced sauce.
  2. Parboil the rice 8 minutes in salted water, drain and dress with butter, Parmigiano, eggs and nutmeg.
  3. Butter a dome mould and coat with breadcrumbs. Line with two thirds of the rice, fill with the pigeon, cap with the rest.
  4. Bake at 180C for 40 minutes until set and golden at the edges.
  5. Rest 10 minutes, invert onto a platter and cut wedges at the table.

Editor tip. Guinea fowl or duck legs braise the same way if pigeon is hard to find; keep the livers, they are the depth of the dish.

Common allergens: Milk, Egg.