Advertisement It didn’t take me long to see that Nick was a hard worker who was eager to learn. He started working as a diet aide, doing anything from washing dishes to serving food to patients. After working for about a year and doing everything but cook, a part-time position opened up for him to do just that. I approached Nick with the news, and he was more than eager to take on the challenge.
The beginning stages of cooking in the hospital kitchen included a lot of similar tasks that came in volume, such as scooping freshly made meatballs, breading fish or the ever popular task of slicing roasted meats. Other days might include prepping vegetables or large quantities of roux (made by cooking together equal amounts of flour and fat, usually butter or margarine). We use roux at Gundersen Lutheran to thicken our fresh soups and sauces.
As time went on, Nick became more and more comfortable cooking, working side by side with our cooks, preparing food for not only the staff and guests but also for special events. Nick seemed to shine when confronted with the opportunity learn.
One day it occurred to me that Nick would be an excellent candidate for culinary school. Before long, Nick was off to The Culinary Institute of America, the oldest and most prestigious culinary school in the United States. That was a little more than two years ago, and today I am proud to say that Mr. Nick Duff has graduated. He soon will be heading to a fine dining restaurant in Portland, Ore., called “50 Plates.”
One of my favorite dishes that Nick has shared with us since he has been back is a toasted barley risotto. You toast barley in the oven, and then prepare it as you would regular rice risotto.
Barley grains are originally oval in shape and can be milky white, black or even purple in color. The nutritional value of barley is largely determined by how much the grains are hulled because most of the nutrients are concentrated near the outer coating. The various stages of processing produce hulled barley, scotch barley, and pearl or pearled barley.
Hulled barley is barley from which the outer husk has been removed, but contains most of the bran.
Scotch barley has been subjected to a triple polishing process. This abrasion causes the grain to lose various nutrients and almost all of its bran.
Pearled barley undergoes five or six polishing operations, after which it is further processed to create grains of the same size and shape. In the process, the grain is stripped of the germ.
Barley flakes are processed and used like rolled oats. Barley flour is also available in varying degrees of refinement. Barley flour has a nutty flavor and is darker than whole-wheat flour.
At the end of April, we celebrated our annual Heritage Donor recognition event, where we served a fabulous gourmet meal of six courses, three nights in a row, to close to 200 people. Each night I was proud to have Nick working by my side. Although this meal could never be duplicated, (we created each course from the heart, and that is where most of the recipes remain), I will share the menu with you and the recipe for the delicious toasted barley risotto. Today I raise my wine glass to you, Chef Nick Duff, in a toast: “May your knives always remain sharp, and your glass always half full!”
Heritage Menu 2008
Starter: Beluga caviar blinis with crème fresh and dill
Appetizer: Seville marmalade duck sausage stuffed mushroom caps
Salad: Heritage Cobb salad with avocado vinaigrette
Intermezzo: Boysenberry sorbet
Entrée: Filet mignon béarnaise with seafood brochette, barley risotto and roasted vegetables
Dessert: Lemon and red raspberry mousse napoleon with Tahitian vanilla bean crème Brule’, a note of Belgium chocolate, berries and an edible orchid
Toasted Barley Risotto
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped herbs
21/2 cups toasted barley (place barley on sheet pan in 350-degree F oven, cook 10 minutes, stir, and then cook for another 5 minutes)
1/2 cup dry white wine
10 cups broth (chicken, beef or vegetable)
Finish:
1/2 tablespoon back pepper
1/2 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons whole butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
In a pot, heat the broth to a simmer. In another pot over medium heat, add the olive oil until hot. Add the onion and pepper. Let them cook, stirring for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the herbs and the toasted barley. Stir well until the barley is coated with the oil and all ingredients are blended. Add the white wine, stirring until absorbed. From here, add the broth 1 cup at a time until each cup has absorbed, and then add the next. Continue until all the broth has been absorbed. Taste the barley. It should be chewy but tender. At this point, remove from the heat and stir in all remaining ingredients until incorporated. Serve alone or with your favorite dish.
Makes about 12 (1/2 cup) servings.
Per serving: 230 calories, 7 grams fat (2.5 grams saturated fat), 710 milligrams sodium, 30 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams fiber, 10 grams protein.
Thomas Sacksteder is a certified executive chef at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center. The 500 Club is a healthy-eating program coordinated by Gundersen Lutheran registered dietitians, and its members include restaurants, grocery stores, delis and vending companies.
