Even though the word “risotto” comes
from “riso”, which is Italian for rice, as a method of cooking it can be
applied to other products as well – pearl barley, buckwheat or even pasta.
This time I decided to try risotto with bulgur. To my (and my husband’s) taste, it turned out even better than rice risotto because of the bright, nutty flavor of bulgur. And the texture of cooked bulgur and the consistency of risotto were far beyond my expectations: the former had a nice subtle crunch to it and the latter was perfectly creamy, not too thick, not too thin.
Bulgur risotto takes about the same amount of time as a traditional one, about 20-25 minutes overall. And as a traditional one, is supposed to be served right away. So just keep that in mind planning your meal.
You will need:
- 1 cup bulgur
- 1-2 shallots, finely chopped (can be replaced with the same amount of onions)
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup dry white vermouth or off dry white wine
- 2.5-2.7 cup chicken stock
- ¼ cup whipping cream
- A small chunk of aged parmesan, grated (about 3 tablespoons or more)
- A large handful of arugula, finely chopped
- ½ cup or more sautéed chanterelles or other wild mushrooms of your choice
- About 3 Tbsp neutral tasting oil for sautéing
On a medium heat, heat oil in a sautéing pan. Add shallots or onions, whichever you’re using, and cook, stirring often, until they become translucent. Add garlic and bulgur and stir well so that the bulgur gets coated all over with oil. Cook, stirring, for about 2-3 minutes or until the bulgur gets slightly toasted and starts to smells nutty.
Add vermouth or white wine and let evaporate. It will happen in a blink of an eye so don’t go away. Overall, risotto is not a go-away-let-it-cook-by –itself kind of dish. Now add about ½ cup chicken stock and cook the risotto, stirring often, until all the stock gets absorbed.
Add another half a cup of stock and proceed like this until all the stock is used and bulgur gets cooked, but stays slightly crunchy inside.
Add cream, mushrooms and a half a minute later arugula and cook the risotto for another minute or until the mushrooms heat through and arugula become wilted and tender.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in parmesan. Serve right away.
I served mine with sautéed sweetbreads and roasted asparagus.
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