‘Better late than never’, they say. I don’t know where the heck I’ve been, but I have only recently discovered the fabulous grain known as barley. Last night’s experiment, cooking it like a rice pilaf, resulted in a hearty risotto-like dish. Though I do love arborio (the traditional Italian rice used for making risotto), the barley provided a bite-ier texture and deeper flavour….. plus far more nutrient value. As with any grain, barley serves as a fantastic vehicle to the flavours you add to it. The cooking time is longer (45 minutes), but it’s worth the wait. And you sure do get a good bang for your buck as far as quantity goes- one cup of dry barley requires 3 cups of cooking liquid, resulting in 4 cups of cooked grain. My first effort is a pretty basic recipe….. onions, green peas, fresh basil, chicken stock, lemon and parmesan cheese provide the flavours. This is a hearty fall dish that would be great to serve either as a side dish or as a main course.
But I am well aware that I have barely scratched the surface of my barley explorations. As luck would have it, last Saturday I stumbled upon an episode of Alton Brown’s Good Eats. If you have never seen his program, during each episode he focuses on a single ingredient and conducts a thorough exploration into the science, history and recipe potential of that particular food. Last Saturday’s barley episode enlightened me to many other recipe options. “Take away all of the culinary creations of the past 10,000 years and what are you left with? Barley. But make no mistake, ancient though it may be, barley is no dino-seed when it comes to versatility in the modern kitchen. Alton shows us how to grind our own grains and turn a handful of hulls into a meal even a caveman could love.” In 30 minutes he managed to walk the viewer through the ingredients and methods for preparing Baked Barely, Barley Bread, Barley + Lamb Stew, Barley Salad and even Barley Water. I can’t wait to give these recipes a try, especially the bread and the stew….. will keep you posted. FYI- you can click on www.barleyfoods.org (brought to you by the ‘National Barley Foods Council’- who knew!) to learn all you could ever want to know about the big, beautiful world of barley.
Barley Risotto with Green Peas + Basil
Serves 4 as a meal, 6-8 as a side dish.
2 T olive oil
1 cup uncooked barley
1/2 onion, medium dice
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup water- put aside
2 c frozen green peas
1/2 c fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
1 T butter
Salt + pepper (to taste)
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
Place a large pot over medium heat. Add oil, then onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they become yellow and translucent. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add barley and stir for about 2 minutes, until grains become lightly coated. Add chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 40 minutes. Add peas and basil and return lid. Cook for 5 more minutes. Stir risotto well. If there is too much liquid, reduce it by continuing to cook, uncovered. If there is not enough liquid, add a little more water and cook until it thickens slightly- again, uncovered. Then add the lemon and the butter. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. Stir to combine. Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top.
