Freekeh Risotto

Chef – Fadi Kattan

Vegetable Broth

Vegetable scraps (thyme, oregano, carrot tops and ends, onion tops, parsley stems, zaatar leaves, tomato cores, celery bits)
Water  

Put all the vegetables and herbs in a pot, cover with water, boil for 45 minutes. When done, strain and reserve the quantity needed. The rest can be stored in the fridge or freezer.

Freekeh Risotto

6 cups vegetable & herb broth
A few leaves of sage
1 tbsp saffron threads
3 tbsp olive oil
2 small yellow onions, minced
Pinch of ground cardamom
Pinch of ground ginger
2 cups Freekeh (rinsed)
1 cup Taybeh Sauvignon Blanc (if not available, use a good quality crispy, high acidity white wine)
½ cup Baladi cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
Coarse Dead Sea salt
Freshly ground white pepper

Put the vegetable broth, the sage leaves and the crushed saffron threads in a pot and heat on medium heat. In another large pot, heat the olive oil, and then the onions. Cook until soft. Add the cardamom and ginger. Then add the freekeh. You need to rinse the freekeh beforehand and remove the small stones. Stir the freekeh in the olive oil and onion mix for 3 to 4 minutes. Then add the Sauvignon Blanc. Cook until the wine has evaporated after which you add ½ cup warm broth. Cook while stirring until the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding ½ cup broth at a time and stirring until absorbed. When the freekeh is cooked and creamy, remove from the heat, stir in the olive oil, Baladi cheese and salt and pepper to taste.