One Pan, Two Plates (8 page)

1 cup/200 g pearled barley

¾ cup/140 g finely diced andouille sausage (the smoked, fully cooked variety)

Salt

¾ cup/180 ml dry white wine

½ cup/55 g freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus a few shavings for garnish

2 tsp chopped fresh basil

¼ cup/40 g frozen peas, thawed

Zest of 1 lemon

2 tbsp unsalted butter

¼ cup/60 ml heavy cream

Freshly ground black pepper

1.
Pour the vegetable broth into a large microwave-safe measuring cup and bring to a simmer in the microwave, about 3 minutes on high.

2.
Heat a 12-in/30.5-cm skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add the white parts of the green onions, the sweet potato, barley, sausage, and ¼ tsp salt. Stir so that the kernels of barley get a little toasty. They’ll change color and become kind of opaque. Cook for a few minutes, stirring every now and then, until the sausage has begun to give off a little fat, then
quickly add the wine. It will bubble up. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.

3.
Cook the risotto until the wine has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add the hot broth all at once and return to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook the risotto at a bare simmer for about 20 minutes. (Keep an eye on it to be sure that the pan doesn’t go dry. If it gets close, add another ¼ cup/60 ml broth or hot water.) Taste the risotto to check for doneness. The barley should be al dente and springy when you bite down on it. If it’s still chalky in the center, add a little more broth or water and cook for another 3 or 4 minutes.

4.
When the barley is tender, it’s time to finish the risotto. Add the cheese, basil, peas, lemon zest, butter, and cream and stir until the risotto has a creamy consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt, if needed, and pepper.

5.
Scoop the risotto into warmed shallow bowls. Garnish with the reserved green onions and the cheese shavings and serve hot.

it’s that easy:
Instead of rice, I’ve lately become a fan of making risotto with barley. The grains have a delightful way of bouncing, spring-like, when you bite down on them, and cooking time isn’t nearly as critical. Since barley isn’t high in starch, the addition of a little cream adds that velvety quality we’ve come to expect in a risotto. An easy fix.

extra hungry?
Serve the risotto with ciabatta bread drizzled with olive oil and coarse sea salt which has been toasted under the broiler until golden brown.

in the glass:
The addition of the andouille means that you could go with a light red. My choice would be a Pinot Noir such as A to Z or King Estate Acrobat.

Lemony Risotto

with
ASPARAGUS, CARROTS,
and
CHIVES

Sometimes dinner doesn’t have to be a big production with meat, potato, and veg. Sometimes a creamy, dreamy risotto is just the ticket. Hot risotto warms first your mouth, and then your throat, and then spreads warm comfort all the way down into your tummy. I like to think of it as a bowl of solace. Flavored with lemon zest, chunks of green asparagus, and a confetti of sweet carrot, this spring-season risotto is more than a side dish. It’s dinner.

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START TO FINISH
45 minutes

...

HANDS-ON TIME
35 minutes

...

serves 2

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2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 shallots, minced

1 cup/215 g Arborio rice

Salt

⅓ cup/75 ml dry white wine

15 slender asparagus spears, tough woody ends snapped off, cut into 1-in/2.5-cm pieces

1 carrot, peeled and grated

1 lemon, zested and then halved

½ cup/55 g freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus a few shavings for garnish

Freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup/60 ml heavy cream (optional)

1 tbsp minced fresh chives

1.
Pour 3 cups/720 ml water into a large microwave-safe measuring cup and bring to a simmer in the microwave, about 3 minutes on high.

2.
In a 12-in/30.5-cm skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. When the butter has melted and is sizzling, add the shallots and cook until they begin to soften, 1 minute or so. Add the rice and ½ tsp salt and sauté until the rice is opaque and smells toasty, about 2 minutes. Add the wine (it will bubble up) and cook it until the liquid evaporates and the pan is almost dry, about 1 minute.

3.
Add about ½ cup/120 ml of the heated water to the pan and continue cooking, stirring every now and then as the rice begins to look creamy. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Now, in spite of what you may have heard, you don’t have to stand there and
be a slave to your risotto. Just give it a stir every few minutes to keep it from sticking. When the water is absorbed and the mix gets thick, add another ½ cup/120 ml of the water and cook, stirring occasionally, until absorbed. Keep adding the hot water in the same way in ½-cup/120-ml increments, continuing to stir every now and then. Reduce the heat further if it seems to be bubbling too much. You want the risotto to simmer slowly.

4.
After about 10 minutes of cooking, add the asparagus, carrot, and lemon zest and continue to cook, adding more water when the pan is drying out, until the rice and vegetables are tender, 7 to 8 minutes longer. In total you should have added about 3 cups/720 ml water.

5.
Add the Parmesan and then taste, adding more salt and pepper if needed. I can’t resist adding the cream at this point, but you decide if you need that luxurious boost or not. Now is the time to give the risotto a little squeeze of lemon. Add the juice from the cut half (I usually add a touch more on top of that). If the risotto seems too thick, stir in a bit more hot water. (I like my risotto a little bit on the liquidy side. Once again, it’s your choice.) Taste and adjust the seasoning.

6.
Spoon the hot risotto into warmed shallow bowls and garnish with the chives and Parmesan shavings. Serve hot.

it’s that easy:
I usually make risotto with chicken or vegetable broth, but here, I wanted the fresh springtime flavors of the asparagus and lemon to pop, and so call for plain old water, always on tap. The taste is simple, light, and clean, perfect for a warm-weather meal.

extra hungry?
Pair this dish with a grocery rotisserie chicken. They are often sold by the piece, so you can buy breasts, thighs, or legs. Whatever strikes your fancy.

in the glass:
Asparagus is a notoriously difficult flavor to pair with wine. Luckily for us, we have all that creamy rice, cheese, and a touch of lemon, so a citrusy Sauvignon Blanc would be just the wine for this simple meal. Look for wines with hints of grapefruit and grass in them, such as Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc. And don’t forget to serve it a little more refreshingly chilled than you’d serve a Chardonnay.

Jambalaya

with
CHICKEN, SHRIMP,
and
ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE

Jambalaya is the Cajun version of paella or chicken with rice. This bayou favorite from the Deep South is a mainstay at church suppers, celebrations, and wakes for a good reason: jambalaya has amazing rejuvenating powers. Whether in a giant pot to feed a hundred or a skillet to feed two, hot rice mingled with spicy juicy tomatoes, vegetables, shrimp, sausage, and chicken is the meal that holds us all together. Cue the accordion—
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie, and a filé gumbo . . . son of a gun, we’ll have big fun on the bayou.

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START TO FINISH
35 minutes

...

HANDS-ON TIME
20 minutes

...

serves 2

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2 tsp olive oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

3 oz/85 g andouille or other spicy smoked sausage, thinly sliced

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, seeded, deribbed, and diced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tsp Cajun seasoning (see “It’s that easy”)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup/100 g white rice

One 15-oz/430-g can diced tomatoes, with juices

1¼ cups/300 ml chicken broth

8 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tbsp minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Louisiana hot sauce (optional)

1.
Heat a 12-in/30.5-cm skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken thighs and brown them, about 3 minutes per side. Don’t try to turn the chicken if it’s stuck to the bottom of the pan; it will release once it is sufficiently browned. Transfer the chicken to a plate. (It will not be cooked through at this point.)