Orzotto
Barley risotto
Orzotto: Friulian pearl barley cooked like risotto with leek, asparagus and peas
ItalianIn Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino, barley was the everyday grain of the mountains long before rice arrived, and orzotto is the dish cooks make when they treat it like risotto: toasted, then fed hot stock ladle by ladle and finished with butter and cheese. This spring version uses leek, asparagus and peas; in autumn swap in squash or mushrooms. A portion gives about 16 g of protein, from the barley, peas and cheese, so it is not high-protein. Traditional Parmigiano and Grana Padano are made with animal rennet; use a vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese to keep it vegetarian. The common mistake is expecting it to cook in risotto time: barley needs 35–40 minutes and stays slightly chewy even when done. Chef's tip: stir in cold cubes of butter and the cheese off the heat and beat hard for a minute; that mantecatura makes it creamy.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 10 oz pearl barley
- 1.4 litres vegetable stockkept hot
- 1 leekwhite and pale green part, finely sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 9 oz asparaguswoody ends snapped off, cut into 3 cm pieces, tips kept separate
- 5 ½ oz peasfresh or frozen
- ⅔ oz cold buttercubed
- 1 ⅜ oz vegetarian Italian-style hard cheesefinely grated; see note on rennet
- ½ tsp saltor to taste
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ lemon (optional)zest only
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Rinse 10 oz pearl barley in a sieve under cold water and drain well.
2 minStep 3: Add the barley and stir for 2 minutes, until the grains are hot and coated in oil and smell toasty.
2 minStep 4: Add 2 ladles of 1.4 litres vegetable stock and simmer, stirring now and then, until mostly absorbed. Keep adding stock a ladle at a time for 25 minutes.
25 minStep 6: Take the pan off the heat. Add ⅔ oz cold butter and 1 ⅜ oz vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese and beat hard with a wooden spoon for 1 minute, until glossy. Season with the rest of ¼ tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper, and grate over ½ lemon zest, if using. Rest 1 minute and serve.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 12 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does orzotto take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of vegetable stock?
- Chicken stock, same amount (not vegetarian).
- What can I use instead of leek?
- 1 onion per leek.
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