Barley Soup, or Minestron de Orzo: Barley is hardier than many other grains, and will grow up to considerable elevations -- as high as 1700 meters (a bit more than a mile), an altitude at which many other grains have difficulty growing. Because of this, many of the farmers in the mountains around Vicenza grow barley, and this is one of the standard soups. Tradition dictates one use the broth from boiling a cotechino, but regular meat broth is much easier to digest. To serve 4:
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours,
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 quarts (2 1/2 liters) broth (unsalted bouillon will work)
- 4 ounces (100 g) pearled barley
- 1 cup freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- An egg yolk
Preparation:
Rinse the barley several times. Set the broth to heat in a pot, and as soon as it reaches a boil, add the barley and stir. Cook covered over a very low flame for about 4 hours, stirring fairly often lest the barley stick to the bottom of the pot.When the time is up remove the pot from the fire. Break the butter up into bits and incorporate it, together with the yolk and the cheese. Mix well and serve.
Should too much liquid evaporate as the soup cooks, add a little more boiling water.
A wine? White, Pinot Bianco dei Berici
