Baked Barley Risotto With Mushrooms and Carrots
Click for larger view
If you like risotto but don’t want all the fuss of constant stirring and you want to also take the health value up a notch, then this is the recipe for you. Pearled barely is substituted for the rice. This gives the dish a nice nutty flavor and the barley holds up well. This recipe is baked in the oven, so there is very little work to do and the results are delicious. The recipe calls for assorted mushrooms. We used shiitakes, cremini and oyster mushrooms but any combination will work.. This makes a hearty supper but if you want to add a protein go ahead. We fancied it up with some grilled Chilean Sea Bass.
MAKES: 6 Servings
PREP/COOK TIME: 60 Minutes
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ small white or yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 pound mixed mushrooms, such as white button, cremini and shiitakes, halved if small, quartered if large (about 7 cups total)
Kosher salt and black pepper
10 ounces pearl barley (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 medium carrot, very thinly sliced into rounds (about 1 cup)
2 ounces grated Parmesan (about 1/2 cup), plus more for serving
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup chopped green onions
4 1/2 Cups Magic Mineral Broth
DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and 1 tablespoon oil, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms start to soften, about 3 minutes.
Stir in barley, carrot and 4 1/2 Magic Mineral Broth, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, transfer to the oven and bake until barley is tender and chewy and almost all of the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes.
Stir in Parmesan and the 2 tablespoons olive oil until slightly thickened and creamy. Season with salt and pepper.
Divide among shallow bowls. Sprinkle with chives and additional Parmesan, to taste.
Notes: Will keep in the refrigerator for a few days.
If you have not made the Magic Mineral Broth a good quality organic, no salt vegetable broth will work.
This recipe comes from Kay Chun at the NY Times.
