Ren Behan - Author Wild Honey and Rye

Food Writer

3 grains

3 Grain Risotto with Chicken and Dill

I travelled as part of a press trip to Milan in Italy to visit Gallo, the Italian family business, established in 1856 and spanning 6 generations, to learn about rice and grains from the best in the business. This is one of the recipes I tried in Italy, using Gallo’s 3 Grain variety, with rice, spelt and barley, which I came home to re-create. 

3 Grains Risotto

 

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3 Grains (Rice, Spelt and Barley) with Chicken and Dill

Prep

Cook

Total

Yield 4

A perfect balance of three cereal varieties, this recipe uses Riso Gallo 3 Grains, Italian Rice, Spelt and Pearl Barley – all with the same cooking time – just 18 minutes. This is a healthier alternative to a traditional risotto dish as it is higher in fibre. 

Ingredients

  • Olive oil
  • 300g Riso Gallo 3 Grains (Rice, Barley & Spelt)
  • 1 white onion, peeled chopped
  • 1 carrot, peeled, finely chopped
  • 1 stick celery, peeled, chopped
  • 1 courgette, chopped
  • 250g cooked chicken breast, chopped or shredded
  • A splash of white wine or water
  • Fresh dill
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Tip in the '3 grains' and cook for 18 minutes. If using the pre-cooked 3 Grains 'express' variety, you can skip this step. 
  2. In the meantime, place a large frying pan onto a medium heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil, add the onion and cook for five minutes until translucent. Add the carrots and celery and continue cooking. 
  3. Once the vegetables have softened, add the courgette and chicken and cook for a further 5-6 minutes, adding a splash or wine or water to the pan. 
  4. Drain the 3 grains, rinse and add them into the pan (or tip in a pre-cooked packet of grains).
  5. Drizzle over a little more olive oil, stir and coat all the grains and season with sea salt and black pepper. Ensure the chicken is piping hot. 
  6. Serve, adding a little dill.  

Notes

The dish can also be chilled and served cold, as a salad. 

You may also like:

Katie’s Slimming World-Friendly Chicken, Dill and Vegetable Rice Pots, also inspired by our trip to Riso Gallo in Milan.

Delicious too – my Quick Risotto Stuffed Vegetables

Risotto Caprese with Tomato, Mozarella and Basil

Feeding children – they may like our favourite carrot and parmesan risotto 

Samples provided by Riso Gallo, this is an unpaid recipe post.