Crispy Farro Cakes � All Killer, No Filler

I had some crispy farro cakes at a restaurant a while back, and thought they would make for an interesting video, but when I started to research various recipes and techniques, I discovered something a little surprising; there was no such thing as a �pure� farro cake.

Every recipe I came across had some type of filler used to help bind the mixture together. I didn�t really understand this, until I proceeded to make a batch using nothing but cooked and cooled farro. They completely fell apart in the pan, and I ended up with something more like crispy fried rice. Not a bad thing by any means, but not farro cakes.

After a few more experiments, I discovered that by using a little egg, and a touch of finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, I was able to make it work with no non-ancient grain additions. The whole key is the crust. By letting the first side cook until a well-browned, crispy surface forms, the cakes develop enough structure to make the flip possible.

One thing I failed to mention in the clip; you should check your mixture for seasoning before frying the cakes. I used a good amount of salt when I cooked my farro, but you should still taste and adjust.

And while these were great with the cr�me fraiche and golden trout roe, there are so many ways these could be otherwise used. As usual, I�ll be lurking on Twitter and Instagram to see what you come up with, so fair warning. I really hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 6 farro cakes:

1 cup farro, not rinsed

3 cups water

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 springs thyme

3 garlic cloves, finely minced or crushed

1/2 cup finely diced onion

- simmer covered about 45 minutes until very tender, drain well, but DO NOT rinse

Then add:

1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 ounce (about a 2-inch square piece) freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano (if you use real Parmigiano Reggiano, and grate it on a microplane, you�ll get about 3/4 of a cup)

1 large egg

pinch cayenne

salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil for frying

Farro with Wild Mushrooms � So Old it�s New

We don�t get to eat a lot of food that�s identical to what the ancient Romans would have eaten, which is one of the things that makes farro so fun. 

They must have had mushrooms and fermented cream back then, so it�s easy to imagine Cleopatra and Mark Antony enjoying this before an evening of who knows what.

You can buy dry farro in whole-grain form, but I prefer the �pearled� style, where the tougher outer layer has been polished down. Mine took about 40-45 minutes to cook, but that will depend on the brand you buy, as the sizes, and amount of polishing can vary.

I think this makes the perfect winter side dish, and while you could serve it as an entr�e like a risotto, for me it�s much better as a co-star. It has a very unique, firm and chewy texture that makes it a great contrast for roasted or braised meat, but all by itself, it could get tiresome. That said, I hope you give this exciting �new� grain a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 portions:

1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms (a small handful), *soaked, and chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

10 brown mushrooms, cubed

1/2 onion, small dice

2 clove minced garlic

salt to taste
1 heaping cup pearled farro

3 cups chicken stock, divided

2 tbsp cr�me fraiche

freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley

grated Parmigiano Reggiano

*Note: You can strain and use the soaking liquid in the dish, but after only 20 minutes it�s fairly weak, and I wanted the extra flavor of chicken broth, so I didn�t use it. If you soak them for a longer time, and/or want to stay vegetarian, then go for it.