I had turkey stock cubes in the freezer which are great to have on hand when you are preparing risotto since you need almost 4 cups of stock. I omitted the marscapone or ricotta cheese but I still had the parmesan to give it the smooth feeling. I had leftover roast chicken that I heated up and threw on top of this risotto if you want to add more protein.
| 14 | ounces | wild mushrooms | |
| 3.5 | cups | chicken or vegetable stock | |
| 1.5 | tbsp | butter | |
| 3 | tbsp | extra virgin olive oil | |
| 1 | onion | minced | |
| 1 | cup | pearl barley | |
| splash | dry white wine | ||
| 1⁄2 | cup | parmesan | freshly grated |
| 2 | tbsp | mascarpone or ricotta |
Clean the mushrooms and thickly slice the large ones. Set aside while you start the risotto.
Brink the stock to a gentle simmer in a medium saucepan. Meanwhile, heat the butter and a tablespoon of olive
oil in a large saucepan or sauté pan and add the onion and a little seasoning. Gently fry the onion, stirring
occasionally, until it begins to soften 4-6 minutes. Tip in the barley and stir well to coat. Toast the barley for 2
minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the splash of wine and let it bubble until reduced by half. Stir in two-thirds of the hot stock and simmer,
stirring every once in a while, until the barley has absorbed almost all the liquid. Add more stock, a ladleful at a
time, and simmer until the barley is just tender (you may not need all the stock). Stir in the Parmesan and
mascarpone and season well to taste. Remove the pan from the heat and cover with a lid to keep warm.
Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan. Fry the mushrooms with some seasoning until they are lightly
browned and any moisture released has evaporated, 3-4 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the risotto and stir
well to mix.
Divide the risotto among warm plates and sprinkle with the minced parsley. Serve immediately.
