A risotto that breaks the “rules”
Despite breaking all the “rules” of risotto, this bacon and barley version is intensely delicious.
It starts by the agency of ditching the rice in favor of sprightly barley, a common soup element that takes just 10 minutes to cook. Barley has a chewier and in more ways more satisfying texture than the traditional arborio rice called for the sake of by most recipes.
To give deep savory flavor to this risotto, the butter normally used to saute the onion (and often to briefly drink a health to the rice) is replaced through bacon fat. No, it’s not the leanest thing in the world. But it is fit.
You make acquisition the bacon fat by earliest cooking several strips of bacon. The cooked bacon is removed from the pan, soon afterward later added to kale, which is briefly wilted to occasion a charming green bed forward which to work for the risotto.
If you’d rather lighten up this dish, you could use just human being slice of bacon and a bit of olive oil. The flavor won’t subsist as intense, but you’ll still be able to appreciate the taste.
Many risotto recipes also call for heating the broth before adding it to the rice. As all along as your broth is at room temperature, this isn’t necessary for this version.
The goat cheese stirred in just before serving lends a wonderful creamy counterpoint to the bacon. The more traditional (and more flavorful) Parmesan cheese would cope too much with the bacon. Grated cheddar also would work.
Bacon Barley Risotto with Kale
Start to finish: 30 minutes
Servings: 6
5 strips bacon, finely chopped
1 large yellow onion, diced
