Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Barley Risotto with Shrimp and Vegetables

Yum! Another good and mostly healthy one (are you noticing a January theme? I'll get back to pasta by Feb, I'm sure...) that can be adapted a thousand ways, depending on your mood and what's in your fridge. I had my first barley risotto at this awesome gastropub in Dublin, and I have had it in my mind since.  So when I was perusing Smitten Kitchen and saw this recipe, it was done that day.  Use the barley risotto as your base and get creative! I made it with chicken broth, black eyed peas, green peas, arugula, and shrimp, but I could see it with beef broth, mushrooms, rosemary, red beans, and a swirl of truffle olive oil. Or with vegetable broth and zucchini, tomatoes, peas, white beans, etc.  You get the idea.
Whatever combo you pick, just make sure you use a bean too, as it will be important to the consistency.  If you don't want to use a bean, I would add at least 1/2 cup less of the liquid (and maybe even a full cup less) as the beans absorb a lot.

Here's what I used:
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock plus 1/2 cup of water
2 TB olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup pearled barley
1 cup beans - I used black eyed peas
3 cups chopped greens - I used arugula
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
2 TB unsalted butter, softened

Put your stock in a pot on medium heat on a back burner.  Make sure it warms, but don't let it come to a boil. You'll be gradually adding it as you go.
Next, add the olive oil to a large saucepan, heat, and add the onion and thyme. Cook until the onion is good and softened, about 5-6 minutes.  Then add the barley so it gets a little toasted - about -1-2 minutes.

Add the white wine and let it cook off for another few minutes until all the liquid is absorbed.  Then you are going to add the broth a 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until all the liquid is absorbed each time before you add more. Smitten Kitchen says to add the broth in 6 additions, but I'll be honest, I did the "hold the pot over the pan and pour out approximately 1/2 cup worth" method of adding the liquid and it worked just fine.  It did end up taking about 30 - 35 minutes, just like it says in Smitten Kitchen, so my "not dirtying another ladle / measuring cup" method can't have been all far off from correct. Once you have added the last 1/2 cup, you are ready to add your other ingredients.  If you are using a protein, add that first so that it has time to cook and / or get warm.  Shrimp was perfect here as they only take a few minutes to cook.  If you wanted to use chicken, it would probably work best to cook the chicken first and add the chopped pieces to warm, or just add the cooked chicken on top to serve.


You'll notice it is VERY yellow from the chicken broth.  Cooking it down will concentrate the flavors, so you want to be sure to add low-sodium broth.  With full sodium version, it would be far to salty. Then add your veggies (peas and black eyed peas for me) and cook for a minute or two.  Finally, turn the heat off and add your leafy green.  You will only need to fold your greens in for them to wilt enough for the dish.

Finally, the good stuff.  Add the cheese and butter and stir to incorporate. You don't really NEED to have the butter if you are being super healthy, but it does add a little creaminess and flavor to the whole dish.  Add some freshly cracked black pepper and salt if you need it (mine was plenty salty.) Top with a little extra parm and enjoy! It was a creamy, filling, and satisfying dish.  My leftovers were great the next night, too!

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