January 2012

braised parsnip & leek farrotto with citrus rosemary butter

If you like your winter risotto with a bit more bite and substance, then the variation made with farro is the one for you. Especially when combined with caramelised earthy roots and sweet leeks.

Farro is an ancient wheat grain, similar to spelt and, indeed, if you can’t find a grain labelled ‘farro’ or ‘faro’ then you can make this farrotto using whole spelt grains. Just try to source spelt that looks highly polished and refined – you want the finished dish to have a lot of the creaminess of risotto with some chewiness, rather than a dry grainy pilaf.

The technique is the same as that used for rice risotto, though it can take up to 50 minutes of simmering time. In this version, butter which would usually be stirred into a risotto or farrotto is flavoured with citrus and rosemary and added to the dish on the plate. This brings a contrast and a freshnessness to the earthy elements of parsnip and grain that have melded together in the long cooking process.

The ingredient list includes a ‘hard cheese’. I haven’t been specific simply because any of the classic risotto accompaniments – from either cow or sheep milk – will work while I would encourage you to find your own local favourite. In Ireland these days, I would use Gabriel or mature Mossfield, the sheep’s milk Cratloe Hills or the goat’s milk mature Ardsallagh.