Asparagus Risotto

I think one of the greatest joys of enjoying food and being in the kitchen is that you can do something comforting and interesting even when things are mundane. To me sometime quitely fussing with a different but practical recipe helps cheer me up, generally feel pleased.

I had come across an Asparagus Risotto in an edition of the Gourmet magaizne a while back and scoffed at the thought of barley measuring up to sinfully rich, meltingly soft arborio rice. This is what is interesting about this risotto, it actually is pretty creamy without an inordinate amount of grease. The barley retains a bit if chewiness but still lends some creaminess to the dish. I have modified the recipe quite a bit for spicing but left the original concept of using up the asparagus intact. Sorry, I have not saved the clipping so I cannot really link or mention the recipe more specifically. This recipe is laced with garlic and lots of star anise and complements most Indian and or new world cuisines. I have fussied my recipe format becoz, I think this helps in cutting and pasting for class notes.

Asparagus Risotto with Barley

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 lbs. fresh asparagus

6 cups water

2 tsp salt

3 cloves of garlic
1 onion

3 tbsp olive oil

2 star anise

1-2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon red pepper

1.5 cups pearl barley

1/3 cup sliced carrots (optional)

3 tablespoons parmasan cheese

1 tsp chopped cilantro

2 -3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1/2 a lime)

Method of Preparation

1. Chop the asparagus separating the tips and soft stems from the rest. Cut and set these pieces aside.
2. Trim of the really hard edges and coarsely chop the rest of the asparagus.
3. In a large pan place the water and the salt to boil and add the regular stems (in step 2) and boil for 8 minutes. Strain these stems with a slotted spoon into a food processor and add the tender tips and stems and cook for 2 minutes. Remove into a colander and place under running cold water. Reserve the water that the asparagus was cooked in.
4. Process the asparagus in the blender, grate the garlic and chop the onion finely.
5. Heat the oil and add the star anise, bay leaves, grated garlic and onion and saute for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the red pepper and the pearl barley and mix in for 1 minute.
6. Add in the water and bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook on low for 40 minutes. The texture needs to be that of a stew, add extra water if needed. Once the barley reaches this consistency, stir in the pureed asparagus and carrots (if using) and cook for 2-3 minutes.
7. Mix in the asparagus tips and tender stems with the cheese and cook for 1-2 minutes.
8. Turn off the heat and stir in the cilantro and the lime juice and enjoy!