Thermomix Barley Risotto

[Thermomixer]

Name of Recipe: Thermomix Barley Risotto

Number of People: 6

Ingredients:

1 cup pearl barley
50g Parmesan cheese, cut into 1-2cm cubes
1 onion, quartered
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon olive oil
250g mushrooms
2 cups vegetable or beef stock
Freshly ground black pepper
1 MC (100ml)cream (optional)
Fresh parsley or spring onion.

Preparation:

Soak barley in water overnight.

Next day, strain off the water and leave the barley aside.

In a dry TM bowl, place the Parmesan cheese and blitz for 15 seconds at speed 9. Remove and keep aside.

Place the onion and garlic in the TM bowl and chop for 10 seconds on speed 7, scrape down after 5 seconds for best results. Add the olive oil and saute for 4 minutes at 100ºC on speed 1.

Place mushrooms into TM bowl and chop for 5 seconds on speed 5. Check to see how well chopped they are and if there are still large chunks go for another 5 - 10 seconds on speed 4 or 5.

Add drained barley and stock to the TM bowl and cook for 20 minutes at 100ºC on Reverse speed 1. Check to see if the barley is soft, but chewy. You may need slightly longer.

Add the grated Parmesan, pepper and cream if you are using and mix for 10 seconds on reverse speed 4. This should make it creamy and mimics the mantecare technique used to make risottos creamy.

Check for salt levels and then serve with a sprinkling of parsley or spring onion.

Photos:

[greenie]

That looks delicious!! 

[Thermomixer]

Ta,  not sure where the idea came from, but I have found barley risotto recipes in such places as Charlie Trotter's veg book.

Just remembered that Tetsuya did a buckwheat risotto - I think a few years ago - need to check that out.

[Vivaroo]

Hi Termomixer,
Taste.com posted a pumpkin & barley risotto recipe on FB yesterday, so I went searching for a TMX conversion and found yours.  So far most of my main meal attempts have been terrible in the TMX, and I'll maybe never make the EDC risotto again, my stovetop risotto was always very edible.  Barley's been soaking so I'll give this a go.  Cheers!

PS is it OK I keep reviving these old posts?  It's all new to me!

Edit: yum yum yum a success. No mushrooms, my barley risotto had roasted capsicum & zucchini thrown in at the end with some fresh oregano and a squeeze of lemon and small handful of baby spinach. I also started with wine, me and Thermie (date night) and threw in some frozen peas at about 10 minutes.  If the kids want seconds when they've only eaten a mouthful it's a success. I love the texture of the barley and seemingly cheaper than aborio rice.

[judydawn]

Viv, it's great to see some of the old recipes being reviewed.  The forum has grown so quickly that there must be plenty of recipes which haven't been tried by anyone yet.  Thermomixer's recipes are sometimes outside the square but are never boring so they are really worth trying.  

[Bonsai]

the barley does have a chewier texture than rice but is still 'creamy' in a risotto-like way - worth giving it a go as barley is cheap (I buy pearl barley in supermarkets or barley in wholefood stores) and a change from rice.