Hearty Mushroom Orzotto

A dear friend recently asked if I had ever made orzotto. Not only had I not, I had never heard of it. She supplied me with a link to a Mario Batali recipe for same – looked interesting. So we prepared it one night, with liberties as usual. I hereby testify that it is a wonderfully delicious, nutritious, healthy, satisfying, rib-sticking, and forgiving recipe. I can only say “Thank you Suzanne!"

Orzotto is an Italian dish similar to risotto but made with pearled barley rather than rice. The word is a mash-up of orzo (barley) and risotto. Orzotto comes from the mountains northeast of Venice, the Friuli Venezia Giulia region.

To those concerned with health (and who isn’t), the glycemic index of pearled barley (25) is much lower than short-grain rice (69) typically used in risotto.  According to Harvard Health:

Glycemic index and glycemic load offer information about how foods affect blood sugar and insulin. The lower a food’s glycemic index or glycemic load, the less it affects blood sugar and insulin levels. Foods with a high glycemic index, like white bread, are rapidly digested and cause substantial fluctuations in blood sugar. Foods with a low glycemic index, like whole oats, are digested more slowly, prompting a more gradual rise in blood sugar.

High glycemic index foods (e.g., french fries, candy bars, baked potatoes) contribute to obesity and type 2 diabetes. So we like the health effects of orzotto much better than risotto.

So here is my Mushroom Orzotto with apologies to Mr. Batali.

Ingredients:

1 cup pearled barley

1 quart low sodium, low fat chicken broth

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

½  teaspoon fresh minced thyme (or ¼ tsp dry will suffice)

1 pound portobello mushrooms, sliced ¼” thick

1 clove garlic thinly sliced

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1 tablespoon butter (or substitute additional olive oil)

¾ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Method:

1. Cook the pearled barley in a pan of salted, boiling water for 15 minutes. Drain well.
2. Meanwhile heat the chicken broth in the microwave or another saucepan. Keep warm.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven. Add the thyme, mushrooms, and garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until mushrooms are softened. (Note – I covered the pan for a few moments to accelerate the process, but then uncovered to evaporate the accumulated moisture).
4. Add the barley and stir well. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add 1 cup of warm broth and stir until most of the stock is absorbed. Continue this process until all of the broth is incorporated. The result in about 25 minutes should be a creamy sauce.
5. Add the butter and cheese and blend into mixture. (We don't use butter so added another tablespoon of olive oil instead).

Test seasoning and serve. Buon appetito!  

Note on mushrooms.

Mario’s recipe used shitake. I used portobello. You could use porcini. This is a fun and forgiving recipe to play with. The only word of advice is that the mushrooms be well cleaned so the orzotto is not gritty.