Barley Risotto

Ingredients

1 cup barley pearls
2 tbsp onions (chopped)
1 cup white wine
1 cup vegetable stock or water
½ cup milk
1 tbsp basil (chopped)
1 tbsp parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
2 carrots (diced and blanched)
2 asparagus (diced and blanched)
2 broccoli (diced and blanched)
2 cups mushrooms (diced and blanched)

Method

Soak barley in water for 30 minutes. Strain and keep aside. Cook onion in white wine until completely reduced. Add barley pearls and sauté for a minute. Pour in the vegetable stock or water and let it cook until soft. Transfer to a dish and let cool quickly. To serve, take cooked barley pearls in a pan, add other half of the vegetable stock or water with milk and stir with a spoon. Add in chopped basil leaves and parmesan cheese and whisk. Check salt. Mix in sautéed blanched vegetables and serve warm with freshly crushed peppercorn.