Mushroom Risotto

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

• 200g pearl barley
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 250g wild assorted mushrooms
• 2 Shallots, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
• 100g Fresh spinach
• 200ml Coconut milk
• 200ml Veg stock
• Maldon salt
• Cracked black pepper

Method:

1. Place the pearl barley in a pan and wash with cold running water until it runs clear. Drain all the water and then fill the pan with fresh water, add salt and a bay leaf and bring to the boil. Simmer for around 15 minutes until the pearl barley is almost cooked. Tip into a sieve and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Leave it to one side.
2. In a large frying pan heat some olive oil and sauté the mushrooms until they are golden brown, remove them from the pan and remove the excess oil with a paper towel. Leave to one side.
3. In a medium sized pan heat a little oil and add the shallots and garlic, cook on a low heat for 10 minutes or so until completely softened and translucent. Add in half the mushrooms, all the cooked pearl barley, coconut milk, veg stock, salt and pepper and bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Turn the heat off and stir in the fresh spinach.
4. In a small frying pan, reheat the mushrooms to make them a little crispier. Portion the risotto into bowls, top with the mushrooms and add a glug of olive oil for good measure.