Recipe: Barley Risotto with Confit Hazelnuts and Crispy Maittake Mushrooms

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From Tucker Yoder, Executive chef, Clifton Inn

Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Barley
  • .25 cup Hazelnuts, toasted
  • .25 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 tablespoon Black Cocoa Powder
  • 3 tablespoons Butter
  • 1 each Onion, medium, diced
  • 1 cup Chicken Stock
  • 1 tablespoon Crème Fraiche
  • 1 pound Maitake Mushroom, torn into pieces
  • 1 sprig Rosemary, chopped
  • To taste Salt and pepper

Procedure

Precook barley in boiling salted water for 5 minutes until just past al dente. On low heat, warm hazelnuts, black cocoa and olive oil keep on low heat until hazelnuts become soft, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add 2 tablespoons butter to a small sauce pan over medium heat and lightly brown. Add onion and sauté briefly until translucent. Stir in barley to coat with butter. Gradually add chicken stock until it is fully absorbed into the barley and the barley is fully cooked (you may not need all of the chicken stock) stir in crème fraiche and season with salt and pepper.

Heat a small sauté pan very hot add a small amount of oil then quickly add maitakes. Do not shake the pan, season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat when mushrooms begin to brown and become crispy and add a half tablespoon of butter and toss gently.

Put three Hazelnuts per plate around the rim drizzling a little oil and cocoa. Mound finished “risotto” in the middle of the plate and top with crisped maittake

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