Using grains as a blank canvas will let you create any meal that you desire, either savory or sweet. This week, I decided to experiment with farro, a new grain that I found in the store.
Farro is becoming more and more popular these days, so do not miss out on the opportunity to try out this amazing grain.
The following steps will give you a simple overview of cook farro, along with some recipe suggestions, but I encourage you to experiment with adding it to whatever dish you are making and see what works.
Here are interesting things about this dish and how to cook it that Apronese wants to send to you. Don’t leave it anywhere, read it and do it now.
What is Farro?
There is a grain known by the name of farro, a small grain that has a chewy texture and a nutty flavor. It is commonly referred to as the “ancient grain” since it is thought to be the ancestor of many of the grains we now eat.
If you have ever tasted wheat berries, you might recognize that the flavor and texture are quite similar to them. This grain is grown mainly in Tuscany nowadays, so it is used a great deal in Italian cooking nowadays.
This grain is commonly sold different ways, such as whole (with husk and bran) or semipearled (without husk and polished in order to remove some bran) or pearled (all bran has been removed).
Farro: How to Use It
There are two main reasons why I love Frouti: it has a delicious, nutty flavor (particularly when the bran is intact), and it has a delightful chewy texture. This is my favorite part of Frouti. In addition to being well-suited to cooking, this fun, chewy little grain also makes a great addition to salads as it can provide a bit of texture and inexpensive bulk.
Here are a few recipes using farro:
- Banana Nut Breakfast Farro
- Smoked Sausage with Peppers and Farro
- Mediterranean Farro Salad with Spiced Chickpeas
Farro: Where to Buy
Considering that farro is one of the hottest foods today, pre-packaged farro can fetch quite the price. For my farro, I purchased it at the bulk bins at Whole Foods for $1.69/lb. (organic).
At the other grocery store, I found pre-packaged Bob’s Red Mill farro for around $5/24oz. bag ($3.33lb.). In addition to health food stores, you’ll be able to find farro in most grocery stores (especially if they have a natural food section), or in Italian markets.
What Kind of Farro Should I Use?
The farro you find in the market can be divided into three categories, whole farro, semi-pearled farro, and pearled farro.
Whole farro, which contains all of the bran intact, is the most nutritious, however it also takes the longest to cook. It is important to know that as the bran is removed, the more nutrients it loses, resulting in a faster cooking process.
Because semi-pearled potatoes cook relatively quickly, still contain a great deal of nutrients, and have a chewy yet soft texture, I prefer semi-pearled potatoes for their chewy texture and nutrient content.
As part of the preparation process for roasting whole farro, there are some additional steps that need to be taken due to the hull and because semi-pearled farro is much more popular in the United States, I will give instructions for cooking semi-pearled farro.
Cooking Methods
There’s no need to measure exact water ratios for farro since it holds up to cooking so well. You can cook farro in a similar manner to pasta (boil in excess of water and drain in a colander).
Farro is not broken down as easily as rice because the degree to which it is cooked depends more on how long it is cooked than how much water or liquid is added.
The porridge can be cooked down to the consistency of a creamy risotto or porridge, but it does take some extra time (and careful attention to the water to grains ratio).
Farro Cooking Instructions
There are a number of ways to cook farro, but this tutorial takes the reader through the basics, along with a few interesting facts about this versatile, chewy, and flavorful grain.
Author: Beth
Servings: 4 (about 1 cup each)
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked semi-pearled farro
- 3 cups water
- 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
- This recipe features the flavorful grains of farro that are dry, uncooked, and cooked for 2-3 minutes under medium heat to toast the farro. This will add an extra layer of nutty flavor to the dish.
- Immediately after toasting, add about 3 cups of water to the pot, or enough to cover the farro by a few inches. Stir in 1/8 tsp of salt along with the water. Place a lid over the pot and turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow the water to boil for about 10 minutes.
- In order to solve this problem, the water should be brought to a boil and then let simmer for 20-30 minutes. After the water has come to a boil, turn the heat down to low, let the farro simmer for 20-30 minutes, and then test the tenderness for 20 minutes. If you would like your farro to be more tender, let it simmer less. If you would like it to be softer, let it simmer longer.
- Immediately drain the excess water that has formed over the cooked farro. You can then use the farro in a recipe, or chill it at this point to use at another time.
Nutritional
Serving: 1 cup ・ Calories: 176 kcal ・ Carbohydrates: 39 g ・ Protein: 5 g ・ Fat: 1 g ・ Sodium: 86 mg ・ Fiber: 8 g
The nutritional values shown here are only estimates. Please see our nutrition disclaimer.
Cooking Farro – Step by Step Photos
The uncooked farro looks very much like this picture. You can tell that this is “semi-pearled” farro as you can see some brown bran on it, and in some areas you can see that it has been polished through to the starchy white center.
In order for the semi-pearled farro to become tender, it usually needs to be simmered for 20-30 minutes. Ultimately, how much bran has to be removed will determine how long it takes to cook it.
Step 1: Toast the Farro
There is no need to do this step, but it will give your farro a nutty flavor that you probably don’t get doing it any other way.
Put the dry farro in a pot and cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, for 2-3 minutes. You should get a nice toasty aroma, similar to what bread smells like in the toaster. Once you get that smell, you are done.
Step 2: Simmer Farro
It is very important that you add just enough water to the farro once it has been toasted, as well as a pinch of salt to the pot once the farro is cooked.
I cooked one cup of farro and added 3 cups of water and about 1/8 tablespoon of salt. You want to make sure the pot is hot from toasting the farro, so it will come to a boil quickly.
After the farro has boiled, cover it with a lid, turn down the heat, and simmer it for 20-30 minutes, or until it has reached the tenderness of the farro.
I would recommend you start testing the farro at about 15-20 minutes in order to avoid overcooking it as well as to see where your personal preference lies in the texture.
Step 3: Drain Farro
Farro will soak up a lot of water, but the excess should be drained out of the pot. If you don’t know how to drain off the excess water, you can either use a colander or just tilt the pot while carefully holding the lid to hold the grains in place.
It is important to drain off as much water as possible in order to prevent it from becoming mushy. To fluff up the farro with a spoon, I like to let it cool just slightly before doing so.
Step 4: Eat, Chill, or Freeze
It is now ready to eat, refrigerate, or freeze. If freezing, I recommend letting the farro cool completely in the refrigerator before transferring it to a freezer bag and squeezing out as much air as possible.
Can I Cook Farro in an Instant Pot?
As one of the reasons for purchasing an Instant Pot for Christmas, I was able to cook beans and grains in no time at all.
However, this farro, on the other hand, was cooked on my stovetop in just under 20 minutes.
So, I do not think it was worth using the Instant Pot for this farro. I would definitely have used my Instant Pot if I were to cook whole farro, which would probably take me about one hour to simmer on the stovetop.
Is farro already a part of your meal plan? Please share your favorite ways to eat farro in the comment section below.
This is a delicious recipe for you and your family on the weekend. Apronese hopes you will share more recipes about this Farrro in the comments for everyone to know.
