Basic Farro Recipes

HOW TO COOK FARRO

Steps:

• Rinse the farro in a fine mesh sieve under cool running water (this step is important to remove any dust and excess starch).
• In a medium saucepan, combine the rinsed farro and at least 4 cups water, or enough to cover the farro by several inches. Add the salt. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer.
• Cook until the farro is tender to the bite but still pleasantly chewy. Pearled farro will take around 15 minutes; unprocessed farro will take 25 to 40 minutes. Drain well.
• If desired, stir in the olive oil and garlic while the farro is still hot. Season with another pinch or two of salt, as needed. Serve as desired.

HOW TO COOK FARRO

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine farro and 1 teaspoon salt; add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 25 minutes. Use immediately, or spread on a rimmed baking sheet and let cool.

FARRO WITH WILD MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Place porcini mushrooms in a bowl and cover with warm water; soak until mushrooms are reconstituted, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and chop mushrooms.
• Heat olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Saute brown mushrooms with a pinch of salt in hot oil until slightly golden and moisture cooks off, 5 to 10 minutes. Add chopped porcini mushrooms, reduce heat to medium, and cook and stir until hot, 2 to 4 minutes.
• Stir onion into mushrooms; cook and stir until translucent and golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Pour farro into mushroom mixture; stir until farro is coated in olive oil. Increase heat to high and add 1 cup chicken broth with a pinch of salt to mushroom mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer, stirring once, until liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
• Increase heat to high and stir remaining chicken broth into farro mixture; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until farro is starting to get tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the lid from the pot and continue simmering uncovered until farro reaches desired tenderness, about 15 minutes more.
• Reduce heat to low; stir creme fraiche and parsley into farro mixture. Season with salt and black pepper. Stir Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese into farro and ladle into bowls.

BASIC FARRO

Steps:

• In a nonreactive sauce pot, bring the Court-Bouillon to a slow simmer. Meanwhile, in a large braising pan, saute the vegetables and garlic in the olive oil until tender. Add the farro, and stir with a wooden spoon while continuing to saute until the farro in pearlized (begins to change color). Season with the salt and pepper. Using an 8 oz. ladle, add a ladle full of stock to the farro. Stir the farro from the bottom, and allow the stock to become almost completely absorbed by the rice. Repeat the procedure until the farro has cooked for exactly 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the thyme. Transfer immediately to two large sheet pans. Spread the farro out evenly using a rubber spatula. Allow the farro to cool in the walk-in cooler. Transfer to a container, and label and cover tightly.
• In a stock pot over moderate heat, sweat the vegetables in the grape seed oil until tender. Add the white wine and the bouquet garni. Fill the pot with one gallon of cold water, and bring it to a boil over high flame. Reduce the heat and simmer for two hours skimming intermittently. Strain through a fine mesh strainer lined with moistened cheesecloth.