Chop the cauliflower into small pieces (c. 1cm) - there is no need to cut it into florets before you do this. Put in a saucepan and add enough water to just cover. Season with salt (I used about 1/2 teaspoon). Bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer and cook, covered, for 10 minutes - any longer and the cauliflower may start to taste bitter. When the cauliflower is tender, strain and reserve the liquid. Blend the cauliflower to a creamy purée using as much of the liquid as you need to achieve this. Set both the purée and the remaining liquid aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat, add the onion and cook for a few minutes until a little softened. Add the crushed garlic, chopped sun-dried tomatoes and chopped chilli and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until everything is softened and fragrant.

Turn up the heat, add the barley and stir to coat in the oil and aromatics. Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently. Add the white wine and stir frequently until all the liquid is absorbed.

While the white wine is being absorbed, measure the cauliflower water into a measuring jug. Add enough extra water to make up about 700ml water.

Add the cauliflower-water liquid and stock paste/cubes to the pan and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer, cover and cook for about 20 minutes. Uncover and cook for a further 20 minutes, or until the barley is tender - it will still be a little firm, but should be fully tender. You may need to stir very occasionally to stop the barley sticking, but you do not need to stir in the same fashion as a normal risotto. You may need to add a little more water during the cooking process, depending on your barley, but bear in mind that you are yet to add the cauliflower purée which will make the final dish more liquidy.

When the barley is ready, stir in the cauliflower purée and cook for a couple of minutes to fully heat through. If you would still like the risotto to be more soupy, adjust with more water or stock.