SALMA with "Byggotto"

You might have made risotto, but have you ever made "byggotto"? This is a Nordic twist on the Italian classic, made with barley (bygg in Norwegian). Barley needs a little bit longer cooking time than risotto, but other than that, is is pretty similar.

Ingredients

400 g SALMA
200 g barley rice
1 liter chicken stock
A handful of dried chanterelles
1 small shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 glass of white wine
50 g Røros butter
50 g parmesan cheese, grated
Fresh oregano
Salt & pepper

Stir like your life depended on it...

Prepare everything "mis en place" before you start. Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a separate pot. Let the dried mushrooms soak up some of the water, before you take them out. Heat a pan, add oil, and once it's medium warm you add the shallots and garlic. Allow them to become slightly transparent before you add the barley rice. Leave it for a few minutes until it is transparent too, then pour in the white wine. Let it reduce to about half. Now you start adding chicken stock, one ladle at a time. Stir well in between. Keep adding chicken stock and stirring for about 30 minutes until the "byggotto" is al dente.

Once the rice is at your desired consistency, toss in the butter and parmesan and some salt & pepper. Place a lid on the pot and leave it for 2 minutes or until you are done frying the salmon. Rub the salmon with salt and pepper. We fried the salmon about 1,5 minutes on each side in a sizzling hot pan. That should leave the core still juicy and rare. Serve the salmon on the "byggotto" and sprinkle fresh oregano around it.