- 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth (preferably homemade)
- 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 pound cremini mushrooms, halved (or quartered if large)
- 1 1/2 cups whole farro
- 2 small or 1 large leek, white and green parts only, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 Parmesan rind plus 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
- 2 bay leaves
- Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces (the more you add, the richer it will taste)
- 1/2 cup parsley, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 teaspoons lemon zest (about 3 lemons worth), minced
- Bring a cup of the vegetable broth to a boil and soak the dried porcinis in the hot broth for about 10 minutes. Drain the porcinis and reserve the soaking liquid. Finely chop the soaked mushrooms.
- Combine the chopped porcinis, creminis, farro, leek, Parmesan rind, bay leaves, nutmeg, a generous pinch of salt, and a little bit of black pepper in a slow cooker. Pour in the porcini soaking liquid, being sure to not pour in any grit that may have settled to the bottom.
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or until the farro is cooked but still retains some bite. If you are around while it is cooking, test for seasoning about halfway through and adjust as necessary.
- At some point before serving, combine the gremolata ingredients and set aside.
- When ready to serve, discard the Parmesan rind and bay leaf. Add the butter and grated Parmesan. Serve the farrotto with the gremolata and additional Parmsan sprinkled on top.
.culinarycolleen.com/slow-cooker-mushroom-farrotto/