Cracked Farro Risotto Farrotto With Parsley And Marjoram Food

CRACKED FARRO RISOTTO (FARROTTO) WITH PARSLEY AND MARJORAM

Steps:

• Several hours or the day before you plan on serving the farrotto, place farro in a bowl and pour on 2 cups boiling water. Let sit for 3 hours, or refrigerate overnight.
• Drain farro and place in a food processor fitted with steel blade. Pulse 5 to 10 times. Scrape down sides of bowl and pulse again 5 to 10 times. Some, but not all of the farro should be broken. Scrape into a bowl.
• Put your stock or broth into a saucepan and bring it to a simmer on the stove, with a ladle nearby or in the pot. Make sure that it is well seasoned.
• Heat oil in a wide, heavy skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots or onion and cook gently until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add farro and stir over medium heat until grains dry out a bit and begin to crackle. Add wine and cook, stirring, until wine is no longer visible in pan.
• Stir in enough of the simmering stock or broth to just cover the farro. The stock should bubble slowly. Cook, stirring often, until it is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock and continue to cook in this fashion, not too fast and not too slowly, adding more stock when the farro is almost dry and stirring often, until mixture is creamy and farro is tender, about 25 minutes. Taste, adjust salt, and add pepper.
• Add another ladleful or two of stock to the pan. Stir in the parsley, marjoram and Parmesan, and remove from heat. The mixture should be creamy. Serve right away in wide soup bowls or on plates.

FARRO RISOTTO

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together the farro and 4 cups of water. Soak for 30 minutes and drain well.
• Heat the broth in a small saucepan and keep warm over low heat.
• In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the drained farro and cook, stirring constantly until toasted, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and stir constantly until evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the hot broth and stir constantly until completely absorbed. Continue adding the remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, until the farro is creamy and cooked through, about 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the currants, pine nuts, feta cheese, and the remaining salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and serve.
• Cook's Note: To toast the pine nuts, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven until lightly toasted, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cool completely before using.

FARRO RISOTTO WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Pulse 1 cup farro in a blender until about half is broken into smaller pieces. Cook 1 chopped shallot and 1 chopped small fennel bulb in 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, 5 minutes. Stir in the farro and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Add 4 cups water; bring to a simmer. Cook until the farro is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup grated parmesan and 2 tablespoons mascarpone; season with salt and pepper. Top with shaved parmesan and chopped fennel fronds.

FARRO AND PORCINI RISOTTO

Steps:

• To make pesto, pulse walnuts in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add basil, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper, and process. With machine running, pour in oil, and puree.
• To make risotto, bring farro, mushrooms, wine, and 2 cups stock to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has been absorbed, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high. Continue to cook, stirring and adding stock 1/2 cup at a time, waiting for each addition to be absorbed before adding the next. It should take 20 to 25 minutes. Stir 1/3 cup pesto into risotto. Top with Parmesan and remaining pesto.

MUSHROOM FARRO RISOTTO

Steps:

• Place the farro in a bowl, and pour on enough hot water to cover by an inch. Let soak according to package instructions (some types of farro must be soaked overnight).
• Place the dried mushrooms in a large bowl. Cover with 2 cups boiling water. Let sit 30 minutes.
• Drain the mushrooms through a strainer set over a bowl and lined with a paper towel. Squeeze the mushrooms over the strainer, then rinse in several changes of water to remove grit. Chop coarsely. Set aside.
• Add the broth from the mushrooms to the stock. You should have 6 cups (add water if necessary). Place in a saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Salt to taste.
• Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, about three minutes.
• Add the fresh mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until they begin to soften and sweat. Add salt to taste, garlic and rosemary. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are tender, about five minutes.
• Add the farro and dried mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until the grains of farro are separate and beginning to crackle, about two minutes.
• Stir in the wine and cook, stirring until the wine has been absorbed.
• Add all but about 1 cup of the stock, and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer until the farro is tender, about 50 minutes. Remove the lid, and stir vigorously from time to time. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• There should be some liquid remaining in the pot but not too much. If the farro is submerged in stock, raise the heat and cook until there is just enough to moisten the grains, like a sauce. If there is not, stir in the remaining stock. Add the Parmesan, parsley and fresh ground pepper to taste, and stir together. Remove from the heat and serve.

FARRO RISOTTO WITH SHRIMP

Steps:

• Bring broth and 2 cups water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Heat oil in another medium saucepan over medium. Add scallion whites and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add farro; cook, stirring constantly, until toasted, about 2 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring, until absorbed.
• Add 1/2 cup broth mixture and cook, stirring, until liquid is absorbed. Continue adding broth in this manner, 1/2 cup at a time, until farro is tender but still slightly firm, about 30 minutes. (You may not need all of broth.) Stir in shrimp and peas and cook until shrimp are opaque, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cheese, scallion greens, and chopped herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls, top with herb leaves, and serve.

FARROTTO WITH FAVA BEANS, TOMATO AND MARJORAM

Steps:

• In a bowl filled with warm water, soak farro overnight at room temperature.
• In a large, shallow pan over medium heat, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the butter, shallots and garlic. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon.
• Drain farro, and add to pan. When the grains are well coated with oil and butter, start adding hot water little by little, just enough to cover the farro. Stir often, and continue adding hot water if needed.
• After about 10 minutes of cooking, add the tomato. Keep stirring to prevent grains from sticking to pan. At this point the farro should be just about cooked, its texture al dente. Add fava beans; remove from heat.
• Add marjoram, cheese and remaining oil. Season with salt and pepper. Stir, and serve immediately.