Name: Mushroom and barley risotto
Yield: 6
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 50 g dried porcini mushrooms (you can buy it at Woolworths and specialty shops); 125 g butter; 250 g brown mushrooms, cut into quarters; 1 Handful of fresh sage leaves; 30 ml (2 tbsp.) olive oil; 1 onion, finely chopped; 3 gloves garlic, chopped; 4 sprigs thyme; 2 bay leaves; 400 g barley; 125 ml (1/2 c) dry white wine; 250 ml (1 c) mascarpone or double cream-cream; 50 g parmesan cheese; 60 g butter; 50 g pine nuts, roasted; 7-8 sage leaves; 

Recipe Vickie de Beer. Photograph Lee Schwagele

Mushroom and barley risotto

Serves: 6 Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

50 g dried porcini mushrooms (you can buy it at Woolworths and specialty shops)
125 g butter
250 g brown mushrooms, cut into quarters
1 Handful of fresh sage leaves
30 ml (2 tbsp.) olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 gloves garlic, chopped
4 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
400 g barley
125 ml (1/2 c) dry white wine
250 ml (1 c) mascarpone or double cream-cream
50 g parmesan cheese
60 g butter
50 g pine nuts, roasted
7-8 sage leaves

Instructions

Soak the porcini for 10 mins in 2 liters boiled water. This will make up the stock you'd use to make the risotto. Drain the fluid and keep aside. Keep the soaked mushrooms: Chop the porcini and keep aside.
Fry the mushrooms and sage in the melted butter for 7-8 minutes until golden. Flavour with salt and black pepper. Keep aside.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pan. Fry the onion, garlic, thyme and bay leaves for 5 min until soft. Add the barley and fry for 2 min. Stir regularly. Add the wine and cook for 2 more minutes.
Add 125 ml porcini stock at a time and stir continuously. Repeat until all the stock has been absorbed and the barley is cooked.
Melt the 60 g butter in a small pan and add the nuts and sage leaves. Fry until the butter has a caramel color and has a nutty aroma.
Add 80 ml mascarpone and parmesan cheese. Stir in the mushrooms. Serve with extra mascarpone cheese and spoon the pine and sage butter over.