Balsamic Barley Orzotto Recipes

Steps:

• In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and saute until fragrant and translucent. Add the orzo or barley and toast for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the wine and cook until absorbed.
• Gradually add the stock, stirring frequently. Bring to a simmer and cover; cook for 8 to 10 minutes until the liquid is almost absorbed and orzo or barley is tender. Remove from heat.
• Stir in the vegetables, grated cheese, fresh herbs or aromatics, heavy cream, and vinegar. Season the orzotto with salt and pepper and serve.
• Orzotto Variations:
• Lemon-Asparagus Orzotto: add 1/2 cup steamed diced fresh asparagus, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and zest from 1/2 lemon.
• Mushroom-Orzotto: 1 cup wild or culitvated mushrooms. Substitute chicken or beef stock with mushroom stock. Add 3/4 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme leaves and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
• Sweet Corn with Bacon Orzotto: Add 1/2 cup sweet corn, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon.

Steps:

• Season the stock well with salt and bring to a simmer in a medium saucepan.
• Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick frying pan or a wide, heavy saucepan. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, about three minutes. Add the garlic, cauliflower and barley. Cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes, until the grains of barley are separate and beginning to crackle.
• Add the red wine and cook, stirring, until there is no more wine visible in the pan. Stir in enough of the simmering stock to just cover the barley. The stock should bubble slowly. Cook, stirring often, until it is just about absorbed. Add more stock and continue to cook in this fashion, not too fast and not too slowly, adding more stock when the barley is almost dry, until the barley is tender but still chewy. Taste and add salt if necessary.
• Add another ladleful of stock to the barley. Stir in the parsley and Parmesan, and immediately remove from the heat. Add freshly ground pepper, taste one last time and adjust salt. Serve at once.

Steps:

• Place the dried porcini in a bowl and cover with 200ml of warm water, leave to soak for 30 minutes (you can use this time to prepare the other vegetables).
• Now start the orzotto: in a large saucepan, gently saute the onion in the olive oil until golden, then add the carrot, celery and pearl barley, turn up the heat and cook on a medium to high heat for 2 minutes.
• Add the wine and let it evaporate, then turn down the heat again to a low to medium temperature; add the stock a ladleful at a time, ensuring that the liquid is absorbed before adding the next ladleful of stock: this will take about 40 minutes and the pearl barley should be tender but with a bite.
• When the orzotto has been cooking for about 25 minutes, drain the porcini (save the liquid for other recipes) and start cooking the sauteed mushrooms: in a large lidded pan melt the butter and olive oil together and gently saute the onion and garlic until soft, stir in seasoning, add the mushrooms, porcini and parsley and cover and cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes.
• Remove the lid, turn up the heat and cook for about another 5 minutes, stirring the mushrooms, until most of the juices have evaporated.
• To serve: spoon the orzotto into a large round dish, pushing it towards the sides; spoon the mushroom mixture into the space left in the middle of the dish, sprinkle the mushrooms with parsley and pecorino cheese.