Not Healthy: Barley Risotto with Tomato and Eggplant

Risotto is pretty much the most awesome way to eat rice and not just because it's loaded with cheese and delicious stock. Although risotto is typically made with a short grain white rice varietal like arborio, it can be made with almost any grain with a high volume of water soluble starches. You need the water soluble starches because they help make the rice sticky and is an important part in the creamy sauce. As a homebrewer, I know that brewing grains are also selected for their water soluble starch properties so when I read a little about barley-based risotto I was intrigued and went on the hunt for a barley risotto recipe. I looked at several recipes and settled on this Cooking Light recipe as a base. It smacks of a fall harvest-type dish which would pair perfectly with all sorts of hearty meats or even a simple herb stuffed chicken (recipe will be posted later). I changed the recipe in certain ways but feel free to look at the original recipe for further inspiration.

Risotto is heavily technique driven but it is also about the quality of the ingredients. One place that I see almost all recipes miss this key aspect is in the stock. Most recipes call for basic, canned chicken stock. I think this is a huge missed opportunity to drive extra flavor into the dish. Risotto can be made with virtually any stock although obviously some flavor combinations work better than others. Stock is easy to make and freezes with no effort so it is very easy to build a library of stocks in your freezer for risottos, soups and so forth. When I first made this dish I used a combination of chicken stock and a vegetable stock I made with corn yarn, parsley and a little celery (plus seasoning). Basically it was just a bunch of vegetable leftovers from cooking other stuff. You can use canned stock in this recipe but I find it more complex and interesting with a homemade stock with unique flavors.

The barley risotto should have a little more bite to it than a rice-based risotto but it should not feel raw or crunchy. If you feel it is undercooked after you have added all of your stock then continue adding water and cooking until you are happy with the texture of the barley. Getting the right consistency in a risotto is a challenge and something you will develop with experience.

Barley Risotto with Tomato and Eggplant Recipe

Details:

Servings: 4-6 depending on serving size.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40-60 minutes

Equipment:

• Stove and oven
• Two medium saucepans (at least one with a lid)
• Small skillet
• Baking sheet
• Knife and cutting board
• Kitchen utensils, measuring cups and spoons
• Large mixing bowl

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Aubergine eggplant
• 10 oz. cherry tomatoes
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1 white onion
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 ounces soft goat cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• 1/4 cup pine nuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2.  Dice eggplant and halve tomatoes. 
3. Combine eggplant, tomatoes, 2 tbsp olive oil and 1/4 tsp pepper in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
4. Spread vegetables on a single layer on baking sheet. Bake at 400F for 20-30 minutes until tomatoes begin to collapse. Remove and set aside.
5. Bring both stocks and 2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to simmer.
6. Dice onion while waiting for the stock to boil.
7. Heat remaining tbsp of olive oil in other saucepan over medium heat. Once oil is hot add the onion and saute until the onions begin to brown (approximately 6 minutes). 
8. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in barley and garlic and cook 1 minute.
9. Add wine and stir in, cooking for 1 minute.
10. Add 1 cup of stock and mix well. Allow to come to a boil. Stir occasionally to avoid the barley sticking to the bottom. As the stock cooks down (which will take approximately 5 minutes), repeat this step until the stock is all gone. Do not let the barley dry out. Add another cup of stock once you are down to 15-20% of the stock remaining. 
11. Once you have added the first cup of stock, heat the skillet over medium-high heat.
12. Once the skillet is hot, add the pine nuts and toast to a light brown, stirring frequently. Do not burn. Once heated, set aside.
13. While the risotto is cooking, slice basil in into fine strips. 
14. Once all of the stock is cooked in, test the barley texture. It should still have bite but be soft and somewhat rice-like. If not, add another 1/2 cup of water and continue to cook. Once you are happy with the texture take the saucepan off the burner and turn off the burner. 
15. Add salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and goat cheese and mix until the cheese is dissolved. It does not need to melt entirely.
16. Add as much of the eggplant and tomato as you want. Stir in gently to not tear up the eggplant. Add the pine nuts.
17. Return to the burner that is still warm but turned off. (If you use a gas range you may need to turn the flame on low.) Stir gently and add the basil. Let it sit for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese has fully melted. Stir to mix thoroughly and serve.