Seaweed Risotto

A nourishing, satisfying and delicious Seaweed Risotto with Nori flakes, inspired by a Chilean recipe (cochayuyo). The flavour will develop so make extra for leftovers!  The spinach and Nori provide contrasting colour and the toasted nuts give it an earthy, crunchy texture which is very pleasing.

Serves 6+
Prep time roughly an hour

Recipe adapted from 101 Cookbooks.com's recipe. (Photo from their website too.)

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 medium shallots, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon Kelp Sea Salt
• 2 cups lightly pearled barley
• 1 cup good-quality dry white wine
• 6 cups water or lightly-flavored vegetable broth
• 1 lemon, zest and some juice
• 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 7g nori flakes (this is a relatively modest amount - you could increase this, to your taste, for added flavour)
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped spinach
• 1 cup walnuts, toasted

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, then add the onion, shallots, garlic, and salt. Saute, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften a bit.
2. Add the barley to the pot and stir until coated with a nice sheen, then add the wine, and simmer for 3 or 4 minutes, until the barley has absorbed the liquid a bit. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle, active simmer.
3. In increments, add about 6 cups of water (or broth), 1 cup at a time, letting the barley absorb most of the liquid between additions. This should take around 40 minutes altogether. Stir regularly because you don't want the grains on the bottom to stick or burn. Taste test to check when the barley is cooked.
4. When the barley is tender remove from heat and stir in the lemon zest, mascarpone cheese, and most of the Parmesan. Then stir in the Nori, and lastly the chopped spinach. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, adding a bit of lemon juice too if needed.
5. Serve topped with walnuts and the remaining Parmesan. Sprinkle cracked pepper to taste.

Tip: You could try this recipe with wakame or Power of three flakes too