Barley Risotto with Asparagus and Cheese

We tend to stick with wheat and rice, but there is a much wider range to choose from. One of my favorites is Australian grown barley.

This Barley Risotto recipe is based on one from Maggie Beer, who isn't afraid to try new things. It has a beautiful nutty flavor and a firmer texture than rice.

Barley (also called groats) is botanically known as Hordeum vulgare.  Vulgare it is not.  But certainly barley is a rugged grain.

Barley is a field grain that is widely grown in Western and South Australia.  It's also popular in the Northern Hemisphere, from Asia to the Americas.  Most barley is used in the production of beer and whiskey or for stock food.  

And what a waste that is because barley can be a very interesting food to cook with. 

Barley has been a staple for many cultures for centuries.  A specially processed version can be found in some Asian
food stores under the name hato mugi.  Barley is the key ingredient in one particular variety of the popular Japanese condiment called miso. 

So barley has many uses beyond feeding the chooks and fattening beef in feed lots.

 A little botanical knowledge . . . the barley grain itself is pretty complex.  There are five parts to it.  On the outside are a couple of protective shells or hulls.  Great fibre but completely inedible.  

Travelling inside the grain there is another layer which encases the starchy middle part of the barley where most of the calories live and quite a bit of the flavour.

At the very center is the barley pearl, which are the uniformly ivory grains you see in shops.  Pearl barley has very little fiber.

Quite often pearl barley is the barley people want to buy.   But the processing to get to the pearl form of barley makes it less chewy to the bite.  White rice compared to brown rice.

Processing also removes a lot of the barley's inherent nutrition.  So hulled barley is often the best way to go as it leaves some of the edible fibre and flavour in the grain.

Hulled barley can be cooked alone and used as rice or any other grain. One cup of barley, cooked with three cups of water, flavored with garlic and onions, for one hour and a quarter will provide a crunchy side dish for steamed vegetables.

Pearled barley cooks in about a quarter of an hour.  Try doubling the water and then dicing a few cups of vegetables and popping them in the pot.  A hearty and healthy soup is almost guaranteed.

Barley can be steamed. One cup each of water and barley put into a steamer for about an hour or so with some spices and celery or onions.  It'll be a crunchy tasty meal with contrasting textures. 

Barley bread also works if its just a part of the grain used - so make it with wheat or rye as the primary grain.  It's low in gluten and high in fibre.