Pearl Barley Risotto

 I thought you may need something to
water down all that cholesterol heavy, vein clogging ice-cream from the previous blog. So try something a little different and very "in" right now. Risotto made with barley. Had it in at least 2 of SA's top 10 restaurants in the last month! I love barley and so this is easy for me to eat. Hubby found it quite crunchy and as it is very filling a little went a far way.
Sometimes it is worth thinking outside the box, so dump the arborio rice and try it. It can also be completely dairy free, your choice.


                                               Sugar Snap Pearl Barley Risotto
Serves 4 quite comfortably

5 spring onions or 1 small onion, finely sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
Extra virgin olive oil
200g pearl barley
2-3 cups vegetable stock (or chicken if you want)
salt and pepper
100g sugar snap peas, blanched (I just dipped mine in the boiling stock for 30 seconds)
80g peas or broad beans
1T parsley, finely chopped
OPTIONAL: 200g mushrooms fried and seasoned OR 1/4 baby purple cabbage finely sliced


Gently fry onion and garlic in 4T olive oil till softened. Add the barley and stir till grains are slightly glossy from the oil. You could add 1/2 cup of wine at this stage and stir, cook off, then start adding the boiling stock, 1 ladle at a time, stirring regularly and allowing to simmer over gentle heat. Add more stock when previous lot has been absorbed.


After 20 minutes add the peas or beans and mushrooms if using and continue to cook till grains are tender with a slight bite to them.



Remove from heat and stir through blanched snow peas, parsley and the finely sliced cabbage if you are using it.
Serve in warm bowls with a good sprinkle of black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
Some goats cheese crumbled over the top adds a bit of dairy if you want to change the flavour a bit.

1 comment:

  1. Micro-greens making their online debut!? Nice.

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