Italian
Good Food Everyday
From
Good Food Everyday
season
1
episode
9
Toasted Barley Risotto with Riverina Fetta, Tomato, Lemon, Olives.
With
Gary Mehigan
Toasted barley risotto with fetta, tomato, lemon and olives. Chewier than rice, just as creamy.
SERVES
4
About this recipe
Pearl barley toasted dry in the pan before any stock goes in, then coaxed through to a chewy, creamy finish over thirty minutes with onion, garlic, smoked paprika, Aleppo pepper and tomato paste. Riverina fetta broken in at the end keeps the texture loose. A risotto-style dish with more bite than rice.
Pearl barley is the Mediterranean alternative to arborio that delivers the same creamy-loose risotto texture with a chewier, nuttier bite. The grain itself is more forgiving than rice; the cook is less time-sensitive, the structure holds together if you leave it for five minutes, and the leftovers reheat without going claggy. Toasting the barley dry in the pan before any stock joins is the technique that develops the nutty, browned depth that defines a proper risotto.
Smoked paprika and Aleppo pepper are the spice combination that pulls this past Italian into Eastern Mediterranean territory. The smoked paprika adds Spanish-Catalan depth; the Aleppo (the mild, fruity Syrian pepper flakes) adds a slow-burning, slightly sweet heat that sits gently behind the cheese.
Add hot stock a ladle at a time, stirring constantly, until the barley turns plump and slightly creamy but still holds a slight bite at the centre. Fetta broken in at the very end (in chunks rather than crumbled) so the cheese softens and partly melts into the barley without disappearing. A handful of olives, a squeeze of lemon, a final drizzle of olive oil. A glass of cold dry sherry or a glass of pinot grigio.
Ingredients
- 200g Riverina Greek Style Fetta, broken into chunks.
- 200 gm Pearl Barley
- 30 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Onion peeled, sliced finely
- 3 cloves Garlic peeled, sliced finely
- 1 tbsp Tomato paste
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- ½ tsp Aleppo Chilli flakes
- Bouquet Garni – Thyme, Rosemary, Bay Leaf, Parsley
- 1 x 400gm tin chopped Tomatoes
- 600ml Salt reduced chicken stock or water
- 1x 400g can of Cannellini Beans, washed and drained
- 1 Lemon juiced & zested
- 140g Baby Spinach, washed
Method
1. Place a medium frying pan over a low heat and add the Pearl Barley. Toast over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until it begins to turn a light golden brown. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
2. Place a medium pot over a moderate heat and add the Olive Oil, heat for 30-40 seconds and add the Onion and Garlic. Cook gently for 2-3 minutes and allow to soften and sweeten.
3. Add the Smoked Paprika, Tomato Paste and stir to combine. Cook for a further 45 seconds, add toasted Pearl Barley, the chopped Tomatoes, Bouquet Garni and stock and bring to a gentle simmer.
4. Cook over a medium heat stirring regularly until most of the liquids have been absorbed and the barley is tender approx. 40 minutes. Top up with stock or water as necessary.
5. To finish, add the Lemon zest, Cannellini Beans, and Baby Spinach leaves, half the Riverina Greek Style Fetta and Chilli flakes, then combine and warm through.
6. The texture of the Barley Risotto should be soft and fall back on itself gently. Serve in a large bowl and crumble a little extra Fetta over the top and serve.
Gary Mehigan
Gary Mehigan spent eleven seasons as a judge on MasterChef Australia before turning his attention to the road. He hosts Around the World on Two Plates and Good Food Everyday, cooking through markets and family kitchens from Spain to Sri Lanka. His own kitchen instinct sits in classical French technique with a forensic eye for produce.
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