After watching countless hours of cooking shows (I like to pretend it’s research and not an obsession), I developed this idea that making risotto was impossible. It was one of those dishes that even professional chefs could not master. I am here to tell you- it is actually easier than you think, but your arm may get a little sore.
While some cannot wait to warm up with a hot bowl of soup, risotto is my comfort food. Digging my spoon into the creamy bowl of rice and taking a bite always makes me melt in my chair. My favourite part is that it can be dairy free! By doing the true risotto method, of adding a bit of stock at a time and stirring constantly, the high amount of starch on the rice will slowly come off-creating a truly ooze worthy final product.
Arborio rice is the classic choice for risotto, however lately I felt like I was in a risotto rut. It’s hard to believe my comfort food was letting me down! I needed something new and fresh. Thankfully I purchased one of my now favourite cookbooks: Australian Women’s Weekly Almost Vegetarian. It features full length colour pages for each recipe, practically begging me to cook every single one.
When flipping through the pages, I found this recipe. It sounded and looked delicious. Finally my favourite dish would get some much needed energy. Using barley instead of rice adds a robust earthy flavour (with extra fibre!), while the chilli gremolata provides a zesty heat not often found in risotto.
Give this barley risotto a try, you won’t be disappointed!
[kindred-recipe id=”1495″ title=”Shrimp Barley Risotto with Chilli Gremolata”]