Tomato and barley risotto faces
Pearl barley makes an excellent alternative to rice in risottos, adding a nutty flavour and bite. With a fun twist of creating faces with vegetable shapes, this is Andrew MacKenzie's preferred dish for encouraging his children to eat vegetables. Swap the Parmesan for a veggie alternative if desired.
Ingredients
Pearl barley risotto faces
- 200g of pearl barley
- 2 shallots , finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves
- 4 baby corn
- 1 carrot , cut into thin discs
- 8 green beans
- 2 beetroots , cooked, cut into discs
- 25g of Parmesan , grated (or use a vegetarian alternative)
- 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 1 pinch of salt
Easy tomato sauce
- 8 tomatoes
- 3 shallots , diced
- 2 garlic cloves
- 800ml of vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
Method
1
Soak the pearl barley in water overnight, then drain well
- 200g of pearl barley
2
For the tomato sauce, blanch the tomatoes for a few seconds in a pan of boiling water then transfer to a bowl of iced water. Peel the skins, remove the seeds and dice the flesh
- 8 tomatoes
3
Place a pan over a low-medium heat and add olive oil. Once the oil is hot, sweat the shallots and garlic. Add the diced tomatoes and 200ml of vegetable stock and cook for 15 minutes
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 3 shallots , diced
- 2 garlic cloves
- 200ml of vegetable stock
4
Transfer to a blender and blitz until smooth. Pass through a sieve and set aside
5
For the risotto, place a heavy-based pan over a medium heat and add vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, add the diced shallots and crushed garlic and cook until transparent
- 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 2 shallots , finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves
6
Add the pearl barley and fry gently for 2 minutes. Then, add the tomato sauce, a little at a time, stirring constantly until all the sauce has been absorbed
7
Gradually add the remaining stock, stirring at regular intervals until the barley is tender and all the stock has been absorbed
- 600ml of vegetable stock
8
One by one, cook the baby corn, green beans, carrot and beetroot - it is important you cook this last - in lightly salted boiling water for 2 minutes each. Strain and set aside
- 4 baby corn
- 1 carrot , cut into thin discs
- 8 green beans
- 2 beetroots , cooked, cut into discs
- 1 pinch of salt
9
Stir in the Parmesan and divide the risotto onto 4 plates, shaping each mound into a circle
- 25g of Parmesan , grated
10
Arrange the vegetables on top to make faces (carrots for mouth, corn for nose, beetroot for eyes and beans for eyebrows) and serve immediately
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Tomato and barley risotto faces
