Barley is a great cereal, similar to rice, which can be enjoyed simply on its own, as a crunchy addition to a soup, or with a mixture of spices, vegetables and meat. If you want to know the secrets of preparing barley, all you have to do is keep reading.
Ingrediants
Simple Barley
- 60 ml of extra virgin olive oil
- 250 g of Barley
- 480 ml of chicken broth
Creamy Barley with Garlic and Parmesan
- 450 g of Barley
- 75 g of Butter
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 30 g of minced garlic
- 3-4 g of pink pepper
- 100 g of Parmesan
- 60-80 ml of cream and milk mixture in equal parts
- 30-45 g of chopped parsley
- 2, 5 g of Salt
- Black pepper to taste
Spring Barley
- 30 ml of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 2 chopped shallots
- 1 minced courgette
- 150 g of chopped carrots
- 5 g of Curry powder
- 720 ml of chicken broth
- 225 g of Barley
- 50 g of Parmesan
- 45 g of chopped parsley leaves
- 150 g of peas
- Salt and Pepper To Taste.
Barley with Mushrooms
- 170 g of Barley
- 25 g of Butter
- 225 g of Cremini mushrooms
- 2, 5 g of black pepper
- 2, 5 g of Salt
- 60 ml of chicken broth
- 15 ml of balsamic vinegar
- 25 g of chives
- 25 g of Pecorino Romano flakes
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Simple Barley
Step 1. In a medium-sized non-stick pan, pour the extra virgin olive oil
Heat it for 2 minutes using medium heat. If you wish, you can replace the oil with butter.
Step 2. Add the barley
Many packs of this cereal are 500g so you will need to use exactly half of it.
Step 3. Toast the barley by mixing it with a wooden spoon or kitchen spatula
The goal is to lightly brown the cereal so that it releases a pleasant hint of hazelnut. Toast the barley for about 2-5 minutes depending on the power of the stove you are using. If it becomes too brown too quickly, remove the pan from the heat to cool it down. The idea is to toast the barley without burning it.
Step 4. Add the chicken stock
Pour in the liquid at two different times. Start with 240ml of broth and, when it is completely absorbed, add the remaining broth. If you want a less creamy barley, add only 360 ml of broth. When cooked, barley absorbs liquids in a very similar way to rice.
Step 5. Raise the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook slowly for 10-15 minutes, or until the barley is tender and absorbs the broth completely
Sometimes it can happen that the barley absorbs all the liquid but remains slightly hard. In this case, add more broth or water and continue cooking
Step 6. Serve
You can serve barley as a main dish or as a side dish to a beef or chicken dish.
Method 2 of 4: Creamy Barley with Garlic and Parmesan
Step 1. Bring a pot full of water to a boil
Step 2. Pour the barley into the pot
Step 3. Cook using medium-high heat for 10-12 minutes
To know the exact cooking time, read the instructions on the package. When the barley is cooked, carefully drain it from the water.
Step 4. In a large cast iron skillet, melt the butter
Step 5. Add the onion
Sauté it for 3-4 minutes or until soft.
Step 6. Add the garlic and pink pepper to the pan as well
Cook all the ingredients for another 2 minutes.
Step 7. Now turn the flame down to low
Step 8. Pour the remaining ingredients into the pan
Add the cooked barley, the parmesan, the cream and milk mixture, the parsley and the salt. Stir well and cook for 1-2 minutes so the barley can heat up sufficiently.
Step 9. Serve
Season the barley with black pepper to your taste and serve immediately.
Method 3 of 4: Spring Barley
Step 1. In a cast iron skillet, heat the extra virgin olive oil using medium-high heat
Move the pan gently so that the oil can grease the bottom evenly.
Step 2. Saute the garlic, shallots, courgette and carrots for 5 minutes
Mix the ingredients carefully to blend the flavors.
Step 3. Add the curry mixture and chicken stock
Stir and wait for the broth to come to a boil.
Step 4. Add the barley and cook the ingredients for 10 minutes
Cover the pan with the lid provided and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, to blend the flavors together. If you want 'al dente' barley, cook it for 10 minutes. If you prefer a softer barley, cook it for another 1-2 minutes. When done, remove the pan from the heat.
Step 5. Remove the lid from the pan and add the Parmesan, parsley and peas
Mix it carefully.
Step 6. Serve
Season the barley with black pepper to your taste and serve immediately.
Method 4 of 4: Barley with Mushrooms
Step 1. Bring the water to a boil in a medium-sized saucepan
Step 2. Add the barley
Step 3. Cook the cereal using medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes
To know the exact cooking time, read the instructions on the package. When the barley is cooked, drain it carefully from the water. Don't add salt or butter at this point in the recipe, you can do it later.
Step 4. In a large cast iron skillet, melt the butter for one minute using medium heat
Heat it until it is lightly golden.
Step 5. Add the mushrooms, pepper and salt
Cook the ingredients for 4 minutes, or until the mushrooms release their liquids. Mix carefully to combine all the flavors.
Step 6. Add the chicken stock and balsamic vinegar
Mix all the ingredients for about 30 seconds.
Step 7. Add the barley and chives to the mushrooms, mixing carefully to blend them evenly
Cook for an extra minute, giving the barley time to heat up sufficiently.
Step 8. Serve
Sprinkle the barley with the flakes of pecorino romano and enjoy the dish while it is still hot.
Step 9. Finished
Advice
- You can add 2-3 cloves of minced or crushed garlic to the pan after mixing the barley. Toast them for about 30 seconds, then proceed with the recipe by adding the chicken broth.
- Almost when the barley is cooked, you can add some frozen peas. Of course, this is just a suggestion, but be aware that they will add a very nice color contrast. There is no need to defrost the peas in advance, they will heat up in a minute or two.
- If you want to try a different flavor, try adding a small, finely chopped onion immediately after heating the oil or butter. Saute it for about 5 minutes, or until it becomes soft, then proceed with the recipe adding the barley.
