I love cereals, which are not commonly used in Mediterranean cuisine, especially in the South, but I find them a valid alternative to pasta. Here comes the opportunity to experiment with a dish, I usually prefer Caesar’s mushrooms as carpaccio, but this time I wanted to experiment with this dish by making a flavorful risotto. Excellent result, full of taste and with new and pleasant aromas. Try making it with other mushrooms, champignons work well too.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 3 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn
Ingredients
- 14 oz pearl barley
- 7 oz Caesar's mushrooms
- 3.5 oz speck
- 1 red onion
- 2 tsp butter
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 1.8 oz Grana Padano cheese, grated
- 4 cups vegetable broth
Steps
Clean the mushrooms with a damp cloth and chop them coarsely, cut the speck into strips, and slice the onion fairly thin. In a large pan, put the extra virgin olive oil, 4 tablespoons, and the onion.
Let it wilt and add the speck, brown it well, and then add the mushrooms, letting them fry for 5 minutes.
Add the barley and let it brown until it becomes translucent, then start adding the previously prepared broth, adjust with salt, and continue cooking. I add enough broth to cover, and when it is absorbed, I add more until cooking is completed. Calculate that barley usually cooks in 18-20 minutes.
When the barley is ready, turn off the heat, add the butter in pieces and a grating of Grana, cream it and fluff it with the tines of two forks. Serve hot!
