Cheesy Baked Pearl Barley Food

CHEESY BARLEY GRATIN

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 3-quart baking dish with butter and set aside.
• Fill a small pot with lightly salted water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the barley and boil until just cooked through but still slightly chewy, about 20 minutes (it will continue to cook in the oven). Drain and rinse.
• Meanwhile, put 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted, about 30 seconds. Combine the Gruyere, mozzarella and parmesan in another medium bowl. Add the panko, 1 cup of the cheese mixture and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the bowl with the melted butter. Use your hands to work the butter into the cheese and breadcrumbs. Set aside.
• Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter in a wide large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and a large pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. (The butter will start to foam and brown specks will form, but that is okay; this will add a lot of flavor to the finished dish.) Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic and thyme and stir constantly until the garlic is just softened, about 1 minute. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until a thin paste forms around the onion mixture, about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally until the sauce is a thin gravy, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the shredded cheese mixture and cooked barley. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Spoon into the greased baking dish. Sprinkle the reserved cheesy breadcrumbs evenly on top of the barley and bake until bubbly and the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

PEARL BARLEY CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Melt butter in a 1 1/2-quart Dutch oven or oven-safe pot over medium heat and cook onion until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Add celery and cook until starting to soften, stirring often, about 5 more minutes. Mix barley into the vegetables and stir until coated with butter. Fold mushrooms and green pepper into barley mixture; season to taste with salt and black pepper. Pour chicken broth into barley mixture and bring to a boil; cover casserole dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until barley is nearly tender, about 30 minutes; uncover casserole dish and bake barley until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 more minutes. Adjust salt and black pepper before serving.

CHEESY BAKED PEARL BARLEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180C fan forced (200C normal).
• Toss the pumpkin with a little oil and salt and pepper in a heavy bottom baking tray and cook in the oven until tender tossing now and again.
• At the same time, put the pearl barley and a pinch of salt in a pot and just cover with stock and gently cook for about 35 minutes until just tender, adding more stock if needed and then drain well.
• To make the mornay sauce, melt the butter in a pot and add the flour and stir well and gently to cook and then add the hot milk, all at once, and whisk well and then add 2 good handfuls grated tasty cheese, the cream and salt and pepper and whisk until the cheese has melted.
• Heat a little oil in a pan and gently saute the tomatoes until they collapse a bit, regularly stirring and then toss the tomatoes with the cooked pumpkin, pearl barley and salt and pepper and add a general amount of the mornay sauce (LEAVE ENOUGH TO COVER THE TOP OF THE BAKED DISH) and mix well and transfer the mixture to a gratin dish (or any ovenproof dish).
• Flatten the top and then spoon more mornay sauce on top and sprinkle with some grated cheddar and parmesan and cook in the oven for about 20 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
• Can be made ahead and reheated in the oven though you may need to cover with alfoil to prevent cheese burning.

BAKED BARLEY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place the barley into a 1 1/2-quart ceramic or glass baking dish (with a lid) and add the butter, salt and boiling water. Stir to combine. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and place the lid on top of the foil. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour.
• After 1 hour, remove the cover, fluff with a fork and serve immediately.

CHICKEN CASSEROLE WITH PEARL BARLEY

Steps:

• Brown the chicken in a skillet until it's nearly cooked through.
• Mix the gravy and the chicken soup in a casserole dish.
• Add the chicken, vegetables and pearl barley.
• Cook in the oven on medium heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

TRADITIONAL IRISH STEW WITH PEARL BARLEY

Steps:

• Start off by trimming and cutting away excess fat off the meat.
• Pat the pieces dry and in a bowl toss them with flour.
• In a heavy-based saucepan, over high heat, heat 2 tbsp olive oil and brown the meat pieces in small batches and then remove and set aside in a bowl.
• In the same saucepan, over medium heat add in the rest of the olive oil and add in the chopped onions, garlic and bay leaves and saute till translucent, takes about 10 minutes.
• Return the browned meat pieces to the pot and add in the dried thyme and give it all a good stir.
• Sprinkle pearl barley on top and pour in all of the stock and season with salt and pepper.
• Increase the heat and bring it to a simmering point.
• Spoon off any scum that rises to the surface, then cover the pan with a well-fitting lid and leave to simmer over a low heat for an hour, stirring occasionally.
• After the hour is up, spoon off scum if any and then add in the potatoes and carrots and give all a good stir and leave it cook for another hour.
• Carefully stir in 2 tbsp of chopped parsley and take it off heat.
• Garnish with the remaining 1 tbsp of chopped parsley and serve!

BUTTERY BARLEY RISOTTO WITH PARMESAN CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring broth to simmer in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low and cover to keep warm. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Add barley; stir until coated with butter, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup broth; simmer, stirring often, until broth is absorbed, about 3 minutes. Add remaining broth 1/2 cup at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until barley is tender but still firm to bite and risotto is creamy, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, herbs, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter to risotto; stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide risotto among bowls and serve.