Saucy Tomato and Barley Risotto with Marinated Feta

A rich and saucy tomato and barley risotto topped with marinated feta from Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem cookbook.

It’s kind of hysterical when you think about it, but the “me” before kids actually found the process of making risotto relaxing. All the casual stirring, glass of wine in one hand and wooden spoon in the other, mood music playing in the background. Who cared if we ate dinner at 9PM? There were no bedtimes, no rules – it was adulting at its finest.

Now it’s more like an extreme sport where I try to get in as many stirs as possible while running back and forth from the kitchen to the living room to make sure Nico hasn’t stuck his finger in an electrical socket under his sister’s “supervision”. With wine in one hand (non-negotiable) and Cocomelon playing in the background (hence the wine).

Needless to say…I don’t make risotto much anymore.

Then one fine Saturday morning I was paging through Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem cookbook when I spotted this recipe for barley risotto with marinated feta. It looked so rich and saucy that I knew I had to try it (on a weekend, obviously, I’m not totally unhinged).

Bracing myself for a multi-hour, dirty-every-pot-in-the-kitchen affair, you can imagine my surprise when I read through the recipe and discovered there was NO STIRRING involved. Okay, a tiny bit of stirring at the beginning just to saute the shallots but after that you just mix all of the remaining ingredients together and let them simmer until the barley becomes tender and releases its natural starches to thicken the cooking liquid.

AMAZING for risotto, but especially considering it’s an Ottolenghi recipe and those are not usually light on the hands on time.

Lest you think that flavor or texture are sacrificed in the name of simplicity, let me reassure you that this is not the case. After sauteeing the aromatics, barley is added to the pot along with fresh thyme, smoked paprika, a dried bay leaf, a few strips of lemon peel, aleppo pepper flakes, crushed tomatoes, tomato passata, and vegetable broth. Not the shortest list but all fairly basic ingredients. Tomato passata, in case you have not heard of it, is basically a tomato puree that is strained of seeds and skins. It is fairly readily available (I got it at Whole Foods) but if you cannot find it you can also blend and strain your own tomatoes. 

True to Ottolenghi form, this risotto ends up having layers on layers of flavor – there’s smoke, there’s heat, and there’s tang in this rich sauce that coats the chewy grains of barley in a velvety thick, luscious kind of way.

Although untraditional, I love the use of whole grains like barley and farro in risotto-like preparations. Their chew adds a lot of personality to the finished dish and, I think, makes for a more pleasant and enticing risotto experience. 

The risotto is topped with creamy feta crumbles that have been marinated in a mix of olive oil and toasted nigella seeds. The original recipe calls for caraway but it is not a favorite in our house, so I substituted with nigella, which I love with tomato-based sauces.

If you can’t find either of these, then toasted cumin or coriander seeds would be a reasonable substitute though they would have a different flavor profile than either of these spices. 

Saucy Tomato and Barley Risotto with Marinated Feta

 

Print

A rich and saucy tomato and barley risotto topped with marinated feta from Ottolenghi's Jerusalem cookbook.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup (200 g) pearl barley
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 6 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 small shallots, minced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 thyme sprigs
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 strips lemon peel
• ¼ tsp aleppo pepper flakes
• 1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1¼ cups tomato passata
• 1 tbsp nigella seeds
• 10.5 oz feta, broken into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
• salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Rinse the barley with cold water and set in a fine mesh sieve in the sink to drain completely.
2. Meanwhile, in a large pan melt the butter with 2 tbsp of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic to the pan. Saute for 5 minutes, or until soft. Stir in the drained barley, thyme, paprika, bay leaf, lemon peel, aleppo pepper flakes, tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, and tomato passata. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cook for 45 minutes, stirring frequently, or until barley is tender.
3. Toast the nigella seeds in a small skillet until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add them to the feta along with the remaining 4 tbsp of olive oil. Toss gently to combine.
4. Once the risotto is ready, season it to taste with salt and black pepper. Divide among serving bowls. Top with the feta and oregano leaves. Serve immediately.

Notes

Recipe from Jerusalem

3.5.3208