There’s few things in life more satisfying than eating a plump, juicy fig right from the tree. As much as I love these little fruits raw, I wanted to figure out an interesting way to incorporate them into a dish. I had also been toying around with what to do with oyster mushrooms, being attracted to their strange alien-like appearance and meaty qualities. Adding in some nutty barley and creamy goat cheese, and this risotto was born!
What I love about this recipe is how all these unique ingredients create a perfect harmony for a truly well-balanced flavor and texture. The sweetness of the figs, fused with cardamom and clove, beautifully complements the umami of the mushrooms and the tang of the goat cheese. While I was almost tempted to add in another ingredient to give this dish some crunch, I discovered that using barley, which stays firm even after absorbing copious amounts of stock, instead of rice adds a nice textural contrast from the creamy sauce and falling-apart figs.
Ingredients
- 8-10 figs
- 2 cups of red wine
- 5-8 cardamom pods
- 5-8 cloves
- 1 lemon
- 4 tablespoons of butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 pound of oyster mushrooms
- 1 cup of barley
- 4 cups of vegetable or chicken stock
- 4 ounces of goat cheese
- ½ cup of loosely packed chopped herbs, such as parsley or thyme.
Directions
Poaching the figs
- Using a vegetable peeler or a paring knife, peel the zest from the lemon being careful not to get pieces with the white layer underneath the zest. Save the lemon for later.
- Pour the red wine, cloves, cardamon, and lemon zest in a shallow pan. Bring it up to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce to a simmer.
- Poach the figs in the wine for 30 minutes, rotating them with a spoon occasionally so each side of the fig can sit in the liquid. Strain the figs, reserving poaching liquid, and set them aside. Return poaching liquid to the pan and reduce over high heat till ¼ cup remains.
Making the Risotto
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium low heat. Add the onion and bring the heat up to medium. Cook until onion pieces are lightly caramelized and translucent.
- Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the poaching liquid and deglaze the pot using a wooden spoon or spatula to loosen any burnt onion bits on the bottom of the pot. Add mushrooms in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. Once mushrooms have reduced considerably in size and absorbed the deglazing liquid, add in another batch until all the mushrooms have cooked.
- Add the barley to the pot and toast for 1-2 minutes. Pour in the vegetable or chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Then, reduce the pot to a simmer and cover the pot.
- Once nearly all the liquid has been absorbed by the barley, turn off the heat and stir in chunks of goat cheese, coating the barley in the melted cheese sauce. Add the figs and garnish with herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Songs to cook to
- “Let’s Go Together” by Jefferson Starship
- “Strangers” by The Kinks
- “Mother Nature’s Son” by the Beatles
