Risotto-Style Barley with Citrus and Arugula

This is a delicious and creamy risotto. A first for me making a risotto from anything but Arborio rice but the barley is really nice. I love barley so I figured I would not be disappointed. I unfortunately did not have any arugula so I substituted with baby spinach. I'm sure the bitterness of the arugula would have been a great contrast to the citrus so I will make sure I have some arugula next time.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 or 2 shallots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
2 cups lightly pearled barley
1 cup good—quality dry white wine
6 cups water
1 orange
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup crème fraiche or sour cream
2 big handfuls arugula, coarsely chopped
Handful of chopped toasted walnuts, for garnish

Directions

1. Heat the butter in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, then add the onion, shallots, garlic, and salt and sauté, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften.
2. Add the barley to the pot and stir until coated with a nice sheen, then add the white wine and simmer for 3 or 4 minutes, until the barley has absorbed the liquid a bit. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle, active simmer.
3. In increments, add about 6 cups of water, i cup at a time, letting the barley absorb most of the liquid between additions; this should take around 40 minutes altogether. Stir regularly, because you don’t want the grains on the bottom of the pan to scorch. You will know when the barley is cooked because it won’t offer up much resistance when chewing (it will, however, be chewier than Arborio rice). I think this risotto is better on the brothy side, so don’t worry if there is a bit of unabsorbed liquid in the pot.
4. Meanwhile, grate the zest of the orange, then peel and segment the orange. Cut the segments in half, reserving any juices that leak out. When the barley is tender, stir in the orange zest, segments and juice, lemon zest, Parmesan, and crème fraiche. Taste and adjust the seasoning if need be, then stir in the arugula. Garnish with the toasted walnuts before serving.

Recipe from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Cooking.