corn, farro & freekeh cooked in brown butter

This risotto-style dish from Adam Racina is beautifully simple, yet has so much complexity and richness thanks to a luscious sauce of brown butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano. It's worth taking the time to make your own corn stock for this, as it adds a wonderful complexity!

It’s wonderful on its own, or a great side dish for fish, chicken or pine mushrooms.

Author

Adam Racina, La Pinta

Servings

4

Category

Mains

Cuisine

Mediterranean

Ingredients

• 1 cup Mount Zero Cracked Farro
• 1 cup Mount Zero Cracked Freekeh
• 2 sweet corn cobs, kernels removed and husk retained
• 1 brown onion, sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 peppercorns
• 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
• 100gm unsalted butter 
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• Handful of Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Half-bunch basil, roughly torn
• Half-bunch parsley, finely chopped
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Soak grains overnight or for a few hours. cook in separate pots in boiling water for 15 minutes, drain.
2. Remove kernels from corn and reserve. Place husks, bay leaves, peppercorns, garlic and onion into a pot and barely cover with cold water (don't add too much, as we want to reduce this stock to a sauce later).
3. Bring stock to a boil, and simmer for half an hour. Strain and keep aside.
4. In a saucepan, melt the butter, let it foam and caramelise. As soon as it smells nutty, add the garlic and corn kernels.
5. Saute for 30 seconds then add grains, give it a good stir to coat grains in butter then cover with hot corn stock.
6. Simmer grains in stock for 5 minutes, allowing the stock to reduce and the starch of the grains to thicken into a sauce-like consistency.
7. Add more stock if necessary to achieve the desired consistency.
8. Add parmesan cheese, a knob of butter and season with salt and pepper. Add torn basil leaves and chopped parsley.
9. To serve, sprinkle over more parmesan and a squeeze of lemon juice.