HULLED BARLEY RISOTTO

This is just perfect food for the cold-season, its comforting while still pretty good for you with a ton of great fibers to keep the tummy happy. And god knows we need some warming up here in Sweden today, its first of advent, about 1 degree and ice cold rain is pouring down. First of advent means it’s (finally) time for the yearly christmas market here in Jönköping. It’s one of my favorite traditions, all of us friends always meet up to say hi to santa, have a glögg (or mulled wine)-tasting and eat at a restaurant where no one of us likes the food, but it’s tradition so we do it anyways. It’s just the perfect way to get the christmas-feeling started.

Hulled barley is one of my favorite things to cook with, its made of the whole grain form of barley, making it perfectly chewy and nourishing. If you can’t find hulled barley, pearl barley or normal risotto-rice works just fine!

Ingredients;
80 g hulled barley
1 L vegetable stock
1 medium shallot
4 tbsp. cream
1 glass white wine
40 g parmesan
100 g button mushrooms
3 cloves garlic
Oil to fry in
Salt and pepper

How to make it;
Risotto; Start off with chopping the shallot finely. Then roast it with the hulled barley in some oil and then add in the wine let it simmer until all the wine has been absorbed into the barley. Then add in the vegetable stock, in small amounts, stir occasionally, let it cook in, and then repeat until they are fully cooked (or al dente if you, like me, prefer it that way).

Mushrooms; At the same time, fry off your button mushrooms in some oil. If they are on the larger side, cut them into chunks first, and remember to clean them properly. Salt and pepper to taste and set aside until the risotto is finished.

Crispy garlic; Finely chop the garlic, heat up some oil in a pan and add in the garlic. Let it brown up and get really crispy. Then pour them out on a paper towel to soak up the extra oil.

Just before the barley is cooked, add in the cream and let it cook in and then add in the Parmesan cheese. Salt if you need it. Then warm up the mushrooms; plate the risotto with the mushrooms on top and then sprinkle on the crispy garlic. Top it up with some herbs.