Farro with Mushrooms

In this week’s Torah portion, Parshat Beshalach, Pharaoh has second thoughts about the Jewish people leaving Egypt and accompanied by an elite army, he chases them into the Red Sea. As the Jews cross the Sea on dry land, the pursuing Egyptians  become mired in mud and drown in the returning waves. To commemorate this miracle, we are making Pharaoh farro with mushrooms, a rich and earthy, savory dish made with dried and fresh mushrooms, by Martha Rose Shulman, published in the New York Times.

Farro with Mushrooms

Farro is a protein and fiber-packed whole grain that has ancient roots. Farro originated in the Fertile Crescent, where it has been found in the tombs of Egyptian kings and is said to have fed the Roman Legions. Italians have dined on farro for centuries. In the United States and Canada, farro is nearly always sold pearled, which means the bran has been removed so it needs less cooking time than whole farro. Farro has a nutty flavor with a hint of cinnamon and a chewy texture perfect for salads, soups, and sides.

Assemble your ingredients. Dried mushrooms and their soaking liquid greatly enhance the flavor of this dish.

Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl. Cover with one cup of hot water and allow them to soak for 15-30 minutes. Place a strainer lined with paper towel over a bowl. Drain the mushrooms over the bowl being careful to preserve the soaking liquid. Rinse the mushrooms and chop coarsely. Add the reserved mushroom liquid to the stock to make a total of three cups of liquid.

Heat the oil on medium heat in a nonstick skillet or Dutch oven. Add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, about three minutes. Add the fresh mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until they begin to soften. Add one teaspoon salt, the garlic and rosemary (if desired). Continue to cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are tender, about five minutes. Add the farro and reconstituted dried mushrooms. Cook, stirring for about two minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring until the wine has been absorbed. Add the stock and mushroom liquid. Bring the contents of the pot to a boil, clap the lid onto the pot and simmer covered until almost all the liquid is absorbed. This should take about 20 minutes. If you like the texture of risotto, i.e. with a little bit of liquid at the bottom of the pot, you can stop here. If you prefer the farro without any liquid remaining (my preference), raise the heat to medium, remove the lid of the pot and cook stirring until the liquid is absorbed. This should take an additional 2-3 minutes.

Print Recipe

Farro with Mushrooms

Vegetables and Sides

By Martha Rose Shulman, New York Times – Serves: 6-8

Prep Time: 10 minutes – Cooking Time: 20 minutes – Total Time: 30 minutes

Rich and savory dish made with farro and fresh and dried mushrooms

Ingredients

• ½ ounce (1/2 cup, approximately) dried mushrooms
• mushroom soaking liquid + chicken stock or vegetable stock for a total 3 cups of liquid
• 1 ½ cups farro, rinsed well
• 1 tablespoon oil
• ½ cup finely chopped onion (about 1/2 of a medium onion)
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms or wild mushrooms (or a mixture of the two), cleaned, trimmed and sliced (I used cremini and shitake)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup white wine
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary (optional)
• pepper to taste

Instructions

1

Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl. Cover with hot water and allow them to soak for 15 minutes. Place a strainer lined with paper towel over a bowl. Drain the mushrooms over the bowl being careful to preserve the soaking liquid. Rinse the mushrooms and chop coarsely.

2

Heat the oil on medium heat in a nonstick skillet or Dutch oven. Add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, about three minutes. Add the fresh mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until they begin to soften. Add 1 teaspoon salt, the garlic and rosemary (if desired). Continue to cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are tender, about five minutes.

3

Add the farro and reconstituted dried mushrooms. Cook, stirring for about two minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring until the wine has been absorbed. Add the stock and mushroom liquid. Bring the contents of the pot to a boil, clap the lid onto the pot and simmer covered until almost all the liquid is absorbed. This should take about 20 minutes. If you like the texture of risotto, i.e. with a little bit of liquid at the bottom of the pot, you can stop here. If you prefer the farro without any liquid remaining (my preference), raise the heat to medium, remove the lid of the pot and cook stirring until the liquid is absorbed. This should take an additional 2-3 minutes.

Notes

If you happen to be lucky enough to have a jar of Trader Joe's Mushroom & Company Multipurpose Umami Seasoning Blend in the pantry (https://www.traderjoes.com/digin/post/umami-seasoning-blend), add 1/2 a tablespoon to the farro cooking liquid to amplify the mushroom flavor.