Green Barley Risotto with Lava Salt

Method:

Prepare the ingredients

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Remove the kale leaves from the stems; roughly chop. Deseed the bell pepper and cut into large pieces. Halve the cucumber and remove the seeds; roughly chop. Peel and small dice the onion. Peel and roughly chop the garlic. Remove the parsley leaves from the stems.Roughly chop the dill. Thinly slice the chives. Zest the lemons, then cut into halves. Grate the parmesan cheese.

Blanch kale and peppers

Fill a medium sized bowl with ice water; set aside. Add the kale to the pot of boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until bright green and softened. Using tongs (or a spider, if you have one), remove from the pot and add to the bowl of ice water. Add the pepper pieces to the pot of boiling water and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the pot and add to the ice water with the kale. Let cool for at least 5 minutes, then drain thoroughly. Squeeze as much excess liquid from the kale as possible.

Blend green sauce

Add the drained kale and peppers to the blender with the diced cucumber, herbs, lemon zest, the juice of 1 lemon, 1/4 cup of olive oil, 2 ice cubes, and a big pinch of salt. Puree until smooth and then transfer to a fine mesh strainer positioned over a quart container. Using a spoon, pass the puree through the strainer until you’re left with a smooth liquid. Set this aside and discard the remaining puree.

Start the risotto

In a separate pot, heat the vegetable broth on medium heat until simmering; season with salt. In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter on medium-high heat until melted. Add the shallots and garlic and season with salt. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and slightly softened. Add the barley and season with salt; cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until toasted.

Cook the risotto

Add the hot broth, one ladle at a time, to the pot of barley and stir constantly until the liquid is fully absorbed. Continue this process for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the barley is fluffy and tender. If you run out of broth before the barley is fully cooked, you can add hot water instead. Turn off the heat and stir in the grated cheese, remaining lemon juice, and butter.

Finish barley and serve

Stir the strained green sauce into the pan of finished risotto; taste then season if desired. Transfer the finished risotto to servings bowls and grate a little extra parmesan cheese over the top. Finish with a pinch of the lava salt.