Barley risotto with bacon

Another barley risotto and this one is pretty damn good too. Super creamy, richly flavoured and deeply satisfying. This recipe is from one of my favorite chef''s, Michael Smith. The trick to the creaminess is having the broth already hot so that when you add it to the barley it stays consistently hot as well, which, along with the constant stirring, encourages the release of the starch in the barley. in turn, the starch thickens the surrounding liquid and makes it creamy. So be patient, which is ironic coming from me because I hate waiting for anything (Especially food) and don't stop stirring! Also, don't bother even making this without the wine. If your like me and can't leave a bottle of wine around long enough to use for cooking, try and keep a nice bottle of red and white wine that you like tucked away JUST for cooking because the flavour just isn't the same without it. Trust me!

What you need

8 cups or so on organic chicken broth
8 slices of bacon, thinly chopped
2 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup of pearl barley
1/2 cup of dry white wine
some salt and pepper
1/2 Tbsp of dried thyme or rosemary (2 Tbsp fresh)
A big handful of grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

POUR the chicken broth into a pot and heat to simmering. In a large saute pan, fry the bacon over med-high heat until crisp and golden brown. Pour off about half the fat. Add the garlic and onions and saute them for a few minutes until they're translucent and soft.
 STIR in the barley and continue cooking, stirring constantly until the grains are well coated with oil and slightly toasted. about 3 minutes.
LOWER the heat, pour in the wine and continue stirring as the barley quickly absorbs the liquid. Begin adding the stock, one ladleful at a time, stirring constantly to allow each addition to be absorbed before adding more.
CONTINUE stirring in the hot broth until the risotto is creamy (45 minutes or so). Taste frequently to judge when the barley is done. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the herbs and cheese. Serve immediately.