Mushroom barley risotto: preparing an Italian dish in Russian

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

There are countless fans of Italian cuisine in the world. And this is due to the fact that the dishes have an exquisite taste and are easy to prepare. In our country, Italian dishes are especially appreciated. And so today we present to your attention risotto with Russian flavor, namely: barley risotto with mushrooms.

How to choose the right pearl barley

When buying pearl barley for cooking it in risotto, you need to pay attention to its appearance:

1. It should not contain any impurities.
2. The color can be white, light yellow, even a greenish tint is allowed.
3. If there is moisture in the package, discard it as it is a spoiled product.

This is the type of cereal that is best stored in a carton. The fact is that barley can "breathe" in this way, because during its storage moisture is released from the core, which can safely evaporate without lingering in the package. And in the bag, the cereal will begin to get wet, which will leadher into disrepair. If you experience a bitter taste, the cooking product is lost.

Why is risotto made with pearl barley

Italians use rice for risotto, and pearl barley in Russia is considered a simple variety of cereals, which was very often used in the diet of Soviet citizens. Despite this, for Italians barley risotto is an unconventional dish that is prepared on special occasions, since the cost of this cereal is several times higher than the price of the usual rice. This risotto is an amazing tasting dish. After all, the croup is pleasantly slippery on the outside, but hard on the inside. This is what makes barley risotto unique and enjoyable for connoisseurs of Italian dishes with a Russian motive.

Preparatory stage

Before you start cooking, you need to prepare the cereal: it needs to be soaked for several hours. Mushroom broth will serve as a broth. White mushrooms are the best. They can be taken dried or fresh.

Remember that before using any mushrooms (except champignons), they must be boiled and thrown into a colander, and only then start frying. The fact is that all wild mushrooms in the process of growth absorb all the elements of the soil, and it may contain hazardous substances for human he alth.

Recipe for barley risotto with mushrooms

First you need to prepare the products, namely:

• pearl barley - 200 g;
• mushrooms (porcini or champignons) - 250 g;
• Parmesan cheese - 100r;
• mushroom broth (after boiling) - 1 liter;
• onions - 2-3 pieces;
• bunch of greens (parsley);
• basil leaves;
• wine vinegar - 1 tablespoon;
• white wine (preferably dry) - 100 ml;
• butter - 1 tablespoon;
• olive oil - 50 ml;
• s alt, ground pepper - to taste.

Let's move on to the direct preparation of barley risotto.

When the barley has settled, we turn it over into a colander and drain the liquid. In the meantime, we take a frying pan and heat it up by adding olive oil to it. When the pan has heated up to the required temperature, lay out the barley and fry it with the addition of wine vinegar. So it will become more fragrant and elastic in structure.

Within a short time, the vinegar will evaporate from the cereal, and then pour in the wine with constant stirring of the barley. After 5 minutes, the wine will also evaporate, then you can proceed to the next step.

Pour the broth into the cereal, add s alt, pepper and leave it to cook for 20 minutes.

While barley gradually turns into risotto, we proceed to the mushrooms. Cut the boiled and washed mushrooms into pieces, do the same with onions. All together we send to a heated pan with olive oil and fry.

When the mushrooms with onions and barley separately are ready, combine all the ingredients and continue to fry them in a pan, with the addition of herbs. Meanwhile, grate the cheese.

Add butter, grated cheese, mix everything and serve. Barley mushroom risotto is ready.

Bon appetit!