Basil pearl barley ‘risotto’
Serves: 6 as a side
Prep time: 50 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Tara Fisher
Basil pearl barley ‘risotto’
Recipe by Tom Aikens
Serve this pearl barley risotto as a side dish to roast lamb
Serves: 6 as a side
Prep time: 50 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
318Kcal
Fat
10gr
Saturates
3gr
Carbs
42gr
Sugars
2gr
Fibre
3gr
Protein
8gr
Salt
2.2gr
Tom Aikens
Tom Aikens’ illustrious career has included stints with both Pierre Koffmann and Joël Robuchon, and he is the youngest chef to have won two Michelin stars, during his five- year tenure at Pied à Terre. His new restaurant Muse is housed in an intimate 25-cover converted mews house in London, musebytomaikens.co.uk.
See more of Tom Aikens ’s recipes
Tom Aikens
Tom Aikens’ illustrious career has included stints with both Pierre Koffmann and Joël Robuchon, and he is the youngest chef to have won two Michelin stars, during his five- year tenure at Pied à Terre. His new restaurant Muse is housed in an intimate 25-cover converted mews house in London, musebytomaikens.co.uk.
See more of Tom Aikens ’s recipes
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 200g shallots, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tsp flaky sea salt
- 300g pearl barley
- 225ml dry white wine
- 1 litre hot chicken stock
- 40g Parmesan, grated finely
- 3 tbsp soured cream or crème fraîche
- zest and juice of ½ lemon
- ½ x 30g pack basil, leaves cut into strips
- 1 x 50g pack pea shoots
Step by step
Get ahead
Prepare to the end of step 2, but reserving about 150ml of the stock and leaving the pearl barley slightly al dente. Set aside for up to 2 hours. Reheat, adding the reserved stock, then continue from step 3.
- Heat the olive oil in a wide shallow pan over a low to medium heat and add the shallots, garlic, salt and a good grinding of black pepper. Cook for around 2 minutes, then add the pearl barley and continue to cook for a further minute. Add the white wine and cook for a further minute or so, until the wine has been absorbed.
- Gradually add the chicken stock, little by little – enough should be added each time to just cover the pearl barley. Cook, stirring every minute or so, allowing the stock to be absorbed before you add the next ladleful. Cook until all the stock has been absorbed and the pearl barley is soft, which will take about 30 minutes (if needed, add a bit of extra water).
-
Add the Parmesan, soured cream, lemon zest and juice, basil and most of the pea shoots and cook for a further minute until the greens have wilted. Garnish with the remaining pea shoots just before serving.TipMake it vegetarian
Use vegetable stock rather than chicken, and serve as a vegetarian main course scattered with some crumbled goats’ cheese or feta. Ensure your chosen cheeses are suitable for vegetarians.
