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Barley can be used to produces a creamy, nutty flavoured risotto. [Photo: Daphne Lambert]

Barley risotto

There are many wonderful ways to eat barley – a heart healthy grain. 

Pearled barley can be used as a substitute for rice as an accompaniment to a main dish or used to stuff vegetables. It can also be used like oats to make a nourishing morning porridge.

This risotto recipe from Trill Farm, run by Romy Fraser, was adapted by Daphne Lambert nutritionist, author and founder of the Green Cuisine Trust, from a recipe by Apicius, Ancient Rome’s first cookbook author.

While you can use any herbs or flavourings in a barley risotto that you would in a rice-based one, this recipes uses an unusual combination of dill, garlic, coriander, lovage and pepper. Serves four.

Ingredients

150g (5 oz) Pearled barley
1 medium onion finely diced
2 cloves garlic finely diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ litre (approx 1 pint) vegetable stock
1 dsp chopped fresh lovage
1 dsp chopped fresh coriander
1 tsp dill seed
Salt & black pepper to taste
Zest of 1 lemon plus a teaspoon of juice

Method

1 Soak the barley in cold water overnight.

2 Gently cook the onion & garlic in the olive oil until soft add the drained barley.

3 Add the stock stir well then add the lovage, coriander and dill.

4 Cover the pan tightly and cook over a low heat for 35 minutes or until the barley is tender and all the liquid is absorbed.

5 Season with black pepper and salt and fork through the lemon juice and zest.

• For more of Daphne Lambert’s recipes see our Farm to Fork series.
• If you cannot find fresh herbs use dried. See our article Fresh versus dried herbs for more.