Last week’s New York Times piece on watercress couldn’t have come at a better time. I had a big bundle of upland cress from my harvest at Bee Heaven Farm. Unlike watercress that grows in—you guessed it—water, upland cress grows in the soil. Fresh, it has a peppery bite that mellows quite a bit when cooked.
I chose to dump my cress into a big pot of barlotto, or barley risotto. The flavorful greens, blanched and pureed into submission, clung to firm-tender grains of barley whose starches blended into a creamy sauce with the usual risotto suspects—garlic, stock, parmesan and butter. This was more delicious than any risotto I’ve made in some time. The greens offered lots of character, the grains a sturdy, chewy mouthful.
I made a few amendments to the original Aquavit recipe. I blanched the cress in stock not water (why let that flavor go to waste?) and used a food processor to pulverize the watercress. A blender wouldn’t cut it. I also used all cress and no spinach, but I imagine any combination of flavor-packed greens would do the trick.
Barley Risotto with Watercress
8 cups vegetable or chicken stock
Kosher salt
10 ounces watercress, tough stems removed
6 sprigs parsley, stems and all
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 leek, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups pearl barley
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 grated Parmesan
Black pepper
Instructions
Bring vegetable stock to a boil. If the stock is homemade and low-sodium, season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Reserving a few sprigs watercress for garnish, blanch the greens and parsley in the stock for 30 seconds. Remove the watercress and parsley with a slotted spoon, and transfer them to an ice water bath. Reduce heat on the stock pot, and bring it to a gentle simmer.
Squeeze excess moisture from the watercress, and transfer it to a food processor. Add 1/2 cup of stock, and puree. Set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large, wide pot over medium heat. Add the leek and cook until it begins to soften—about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Pour in the barley, and cook 3 minutes, stirring. Pour in wine, and stir until all of the liquid has been absorbed into the barley. Add 2/3 cup stock, and stir until all of the liquid has been soaked up by the barley. Repeat with remaining stock—this will take about 30 minutes. The barley should be firm but yielding, and the grains and stock should take on the creamy consistency of risotto.
Stir in 3 tablespoons of butter, Parmesan, and watercress puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with sprigs of watercress, and serve immediately.
Serves 4 main courses and 6 sides