Barley Risotto with Marinated Feta

By PDXfoodlove

I loved the way the barley in has just a little bit more bite to it than rice risotto. The salty marinated feta is a delightful complement for the sweet tomatoes.

Ingredients for Risotto:

• 1 cup pearl barley

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter

• 2 Tbsp (4 fl oz) olive oil

• 2 celery stalks, diced

• 2 small shallots, diced

• 4 cloves garlic

• 4 thyme sprigs

• ½ tsp smoked paprika

• 4 lemon peel

• 1 bay leaf

• ¼ tsp chile flakes

• 1 chopped tomatoes

• 3 cup vegetable stock

• 1 ¼ cup drained crushed tomatoes

Directions:

1. Rinse the barley in cold water and allow to drain.

2. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and add 2 Tbsp. of the olive oil. Cook the celery, shallots and garlic for just about five minutes.

3. Next, add the barley, thyme, paprika, bay leaf, lemon peel, chile flakes, tomatoes, stock, drained crushed tomatoes and salt. Stir and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for about 40 minutes, or until the majority of the liquid is absorbed. Stir frequently as it cooks.

Ingredients for Marinated Feta:

• 1 Tbsp caraway seeds

• 10 ½ oz feta crumbles

• 4 Tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1. Meanwhile, toast the caraway seeds gently in either a dry skillet or a toaster oven. Crush so that some pods break open. Then add them to the feta with the 4 Tbsp. olive oil and crush to make a thick paste. You may need to add more olive oil to reach this point.

2. When the risotto is ready, taste for salt level and serve in bowls, topped with the marinated feta.

Note: For the marinated feta I made 1/4 of this part and it was plenty for us.

Ingredients for Toppings:

• 1 Tbsp fresh oregano

• salt

Directions:

1. Garnish with fresh oregano.

Read more from PDXfoodlove.