Food & recipes

Barley, rainbow chard and lemon risotto

You can make this with vegetable stock, however a bone stock, such as chicken, will make the dish far more nourishing and delicious.

You’ll need:

100 g pearl barley

2 tablespoons green lentils

3 teaspoons whey or choice of acid or dairy-free options

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

1 medium leek, whites thinly sliced and rinsed (reserve the green tops for stock) (or 1 onion, finely chopped)

3–4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary

2 cm piece kombu

2 bay leaves

500 ml chicken or vegetable stock

1 teaspoon ghee (or extra virgin olive oil, if vegan)

12 small–medium rainbow chardor silverbeet (Swiss chard) leaves (about 160 g/5¾ oz), well rinsed, leaves and tender stems cut into wide strips

sea salt and freshly ground blackpepper, to taste

1–2 tablespoons lemon juice

25–50 g gratedparmesan or pecorino cheese

40 g toasted pine nuts

The night before, place the barley and lentils in separate bowls and add enough water to cover by 2 cm. Stir 2 teaspoons whey into the barley and 1 teaspoon into the lentils. Set aside at room temperature for at least 8 hours or overnight.

The next day, make the risotto. Place the olive oil, leek, garlic and rosemary in a heavy-based 20 cm (8 in) cast-iron pan. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, until translucent.

Drain the barley and lentils, then add to the pan with the kombu and bay leaves, and stir through. Add the stock and bring to a simmer, then cover and cook over low heat for 40–50 minutes, until the barley and lentils are cooked and tender to the bite;
there should still be plenty of liquid left.

Next, heat the ghee in a medium-size frying pan over low heat. Add the chard stems and cook gently, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Toss in the leaves and cook for another 10 minutes, until they are well wilted. Increase the heat to reduce the liquid.

When the barley and lentils are ready, stir in the chard and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. The barley will continue to absorb liquid as it sits. If it looks a little dry, add a little more stock or water to loosen. Season generously with sea salt and pepper (this is a dish that loves pepper), then stir in the lemon juice and parmesan cheese to taste. Scatter with the pine nuts, then drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and serve.
Kitchen Note
Sausage would be a delicious addition to this dish. Add the sausage to the pan with the onions. It will add more fat to the dish so you may want to reduce the amount of extra virgin olive oil, or serve it on the side.