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Saudi Arabia, Middle East and Africa · Jareesh

Mushroom and Parmesan Jareesh Risotto

Saudi meets Italian: cracked wheat cooked the risotto way, ladle by ladle in stock, finished with golden mushrooms, Parmesan and a pinch of cumin.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time1 h
Soaking+ 30 min
DifficultyMedium

Method

  1. Rinse the jareesh until the water runs clearer, soak it in plenty of water for , then drain it well in a sieve.

    Add in this stepJareesh (coarsely cracked whole wheat) 120 g

  2. Pour the stock into a 18 cm saucepan and heat it on medium heat; once it starts to bubble, turn it down to low heat and keep it hot. Cold stock interrupts the cooking and makes the texture uneven.

    Add in this stepChicken stock 950 ml

    medium heat→low heat

  3. Heat the olive oil in a wide 24 cm pan on medium-high heat. Spread the mushrooms in a single layer, leave them untouched for the first 2 minutes, and cook for in total until golden. Season with half the salt and set aside on a plate. Salting too early draws out water and stops them browning.

    Add in this stepExtra-virgin olive oil 1 tbspWhite mushrooms, thinly sliced 150 gSalt ¼ tsp

    medium-high heat

  4. Melt half the butter in the same pan and cook the onion and garlic on medium heat for . When the onion is translucent, add the drained jareesh and the cumin and stir for 2 minutes to coat the grains, then pour in the wine and let it bubble until the alcohol smell has gone.

    Add in this stepButter 13 gOnion, finely chopped ½Garlic cloves, minced 2Ground cumin ½ tspDry white wine 50 ml

    medium heat

  5. Add the hot stock one ladle at a time and cook on medium-low heat for , stirring often and adding the next ladle when the last is almost absorbed. It is ready when the grains are tender with a slight chew in the centre and the risotto flows in a gentle wave when you shake the pan. If you run out of stock, use hot water.

    medium-low heat

  6. Turn off the heat and stir in the mushrooms (keep a few for the top), the rest of the butter and the Parmesan, beating hard until creamy. Season with the remaining salt and pepper, rest for 1 minute, then plate and top with the reserved mushrooms and parsley.

    Add in this stepButter 13 gParmesan, finely grated 30 gSalt ¼ tspBlack pepper to tasteFlat-leaf parsley, chopped 2 tbsp

Cook's tip

Jareesh has less starch than rice, so the final hard beating with butter and cheese is what gives the risotto creaminess. No wine? Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to the stock for brightness. Leftovers can be shaped into patties and pan-fried until crisp.

Cooking it at camp

Soak the jareesh before you leave and use stock cubes dissolved in hot water. With only one burner, heat the stock first and keep it in a vacuum flask, then cook the mushrooms and the risotto one after the other in the same pan.