Barley Risotto

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.

Heat half of the butter and a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a large frying pan, add the leeks and cook for a couple of minutes, as you would for a risotto, until just tender but not coloured. Add the barley and stir and when hot deglaze with some Verjuice. Re-heat the Porcini & Vegetable stock until just boiling, add a cup full of stock at a time to the pan and stir continuously, until all of the stock is absorbed. Continue to add the stock until the barley is still quite nutty (the barley will be a little more forgiving than Arborio rice if you allow it to cook a little longer than necessary).

After about 20 minutes – half an hour while the barley is still crunchy, add the re-hydrated porcini, and continue to cook for a few minutes. Heat a pan with the remaining butter until nut brown, add the sliced portobello mushrooms and cook until caramelised, deglaze with a little verjuice and add to the barley risotto.
If using pancetta, place on a baking paper lined tray and then in the oven until crispy – about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on absorbent kitchen paper and set aside until needed.

Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary, serve immediately with a tablespoon of fresh curd on top of each serve and some of the crumbled pancetta, if using.