Toasted Barley Risotto with Spinach and Herb Purée Recipe | Epicurious - 万博官网,万博亚洲正规品牌,manbetx苹果下载

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

1 cup pearled, hulled, or hull-less barley

8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 medium onion, finely chopped

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

1 freshly ground pepper

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1/2 bunch spinach, thick stems removed (about 2 cups)

1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, thick stems removed (about 1 cup)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove, finely grated

1 teaspoon finely grated Meyer lemon or regular lemon zest

1 tablespoon Meyer lemon or regular lemon juice

1 cup finely grated Parmesan

1/3 cup chopped tender herbs (such as tarragon and/or chives)

Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast barley on a rimmed baking sheet until light golden brown and fragrant, 8–10 minutes. Set aside.
Step 2
Bring broth to a boil in large saucepan; reduce heat to low and keep broth warm.
Step 3
Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Step 4
Add barley, thyme, bay leaf, and 2 cups warm broth to skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until broth is almost absorbed, about 5 minutes. Add remaining broth by 1/2-cupfuls, allowing it to be absorbed before adding more and stirring often, until barley is tender and mixture is creamy, 40–50 minutes (you may not use all the broth). Remove bay leaf.
Step 5
Meanwhile, cook spinach and parsley in a large pot of boiling salted water until leaves are bright green and just wilted, about 5 seconds. Drain; transfer to a bowl of ice water and let cool. Drain and squeeze well to remove excess water.
Step 6
Coarsely chop spinach and parsley, then purée with oil and a splash of water in a blender, adding more water as needed, until smooth. Set spinach purée aside.
Step 7
Mix garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice into barley mixture, then mix in Parmesan 1/4-cupful at a time, stirring until melted and well combined before adding more. Mix in remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
Step 8
Remove barley risotto from heat and mix in spinach purée and herbs; season with salt and pepper.

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Reviews (8)

This is a great recipe, and easy to adjust to your taste! I followed all the steps, but in an effort to reduce dairy and calories, I used half the cheese and finished with just 1 tbs of butter instead of two. After following the steps as written, I think that next time I might skip the blanching step. I think it would work just as well being pureed raw and then simmering in the risotto for a couple minutes. My risotto did need all 8 cups of broth. I'll definitely make this again! Next time with grilled shrimp, rack of lamb, or crispy-skin salmon. YUM!
- lauraj47479685
- Boston, MA
- 5/16/2020
Kids really liked this. All that butter and cheese made it rich and creamy. The herbs and spinach made it beautiful and full of flavor. I used whole grain barley from the health food store, so it did not get gelatinous like pearled barley. But the nutritional value is higher, and the kids ate it.
- ellenrls
- Baltimore
- 3/12/2019
Made this pretty much as is and was delish. Cut back a little on the cheese (and olive oil) and didn't bother pureeing the spinach and parsley.
- benedetto
- NYC
- 10/2/2017
Thanks to the previous reviewers for recommending this dish. It is divine! I did not have all the suggested herbs, but used fresh marjoram, rosemary and dill instead. Zapped damp spinach in the microwave, and it all turned out wonderfully. I also used very little butter and no oil. It's a real treat. We ate it with grilled chicken and mushrooms, but it is also good on its own.
- Anonymous
- Croton on Hudson, NY
- 12/12/2016
We made this as a vegetarian main course, and we all loved it. It's a great, hearty and rustic spring meal. We didn't go through the trouble of pureeing the pesto, and it still turned out beautifully.
- Anonymous
- Iowa
- 4/22/2016
This recipe does not have to be this complicated. I've made this recipe twice, the first time I followed it as written and it is very good. The second time I made it was on a whim to supplement fish and vegetables with something more interesting than rice. If you use an immersion blender you can by pass the blanching and ice water step. I whizzed up baby spinach, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper and a wedge of preserved lemon with about a TB of olive oil and enough water to get the constancy that I was looking for. When the barley had absorbed the broth I stirred in the pesto mixture and let the pot sit while I grilled the fish. Fabulous. I did not miss the cheese. The preserved lemon was used because I had no fresh lemons in the house. Either method is delicious, it is a very adaptable recipe.
- savagesal
- Clarksville, MD
- 5/1/2015
A great alternative to white rice risotto. I like the color of the dish with the pureeing, and I think the reviewer below has a great idea of using it as a side dish to a protein if you want.
- marthaackerman
- Los Angeles
- 6/4/2014
This is a delicious spring dish, and it goes very well with seared scallops, halibut, or other light fish. The lemon zest makes the dish. I found that it is possible to save time and calories. First, It is not necessary to go through the steps of pureeing the spinach; it tastes delicious with spinach that has been chopped (can use scissors in a mug to do this). Second, avoiding the pureeing step means that you can leave out the olive oil that is in the pureeing step. Also, I thought that using about half the cheese was delicious, too.
- liljsmom
- Bethesda, MD
- 4/24/2014