Sometimes the only way forward is backwards. Barley, Europe's oldest cultivated cereal and once scorned as a food of the poor or fit only for animal feed, is, I reckon, a food of the future. It is a staple, of course, in oldfavourites such as Scotch broth and Irish stew, but it can also take astarring, beguiling role in more outré broths and soups, in nutty, flavoursome salads, or as an alternative to arborio rice in creamy,risotto-style concoctions.
Barley began its life as a wild grassin the near east, and it has been a cultivated crop in some parts of the world as far back as the sixth century BC, though it arrived in Britain relatively late, about 500BC. Its name in Old English is bære, a clue to one of its main uses in the brewing of beer. It's described in thetraditional English folksong John Barleycorn, which portrays thedramatic and violent life cycle ofbarley, from reaping to threshing and malting and turning it into beer and flour: "But a Miller used him worst of all, For he crush'd him between two stones."
It's hard to imagine whether the grinding into flour and transforming it into bread was harder on the grainor the eater. Barley contains little gluten, so loaves made exclusively from its flour are tough and heavy. Roman gladiators were fed on barley bread, and were known as hordearii or barley men, from the cereal's Latin name hordeum vulgare. These days, barley flour is rarely used in isolation, but it does add a tasty, malty depth of flavour when used in combination with other, gluten-rich flours. Your classic granary loaf is speckled with tangy flecks of malted barley.
One plus point for barley down the ages, and now, is that it is highly nutritious. Pot barley or Scotch barley is dehulled, its outer, inedible casing removed, but it still has its bran and germ, which makes it a good, high-fibre addition to nutty, chewy salads. Pearl barley is dehulled and then further processed to remove the bran. Lighter in flavour, it's still enormously useful in the kitchen, adding a creamy richness to soups, stews and pilafs.
When considering how to use barley in your kitchen, think about substituting it for rice or couscous in any of your favourite recipes. Try it, cooked until tender, with chopped, toasted hazelnuts, lots of chopped parsley and/or mint and shredded, cooked leftover lamb or chicken, and a mustardy vinaigrette for a substantial salad – a portable deli/lunchbox version of the Scotch broth. Stir it with fried mushrooms in a rich pilaf (see today's recipe). Add pearl barley to a smoked ham and vegetable broth.
Or for something truly unexpected, but very simple and heartening, try the traditional Sephardi dish, belila, made by simmering pearl barley untiltender and sweetening it with honey before stirring in rose- or orange-blossom water and chopped almonds and/or pistachios. Traditionally served to celebrate a child cutting its first tooth, it also makes a very good, warming breakfast, either on its own or with some thick yoghurt stirred into it.
Spiced lamb and pearlbarley
This simple and delicious recipe is based on keskek, a traditional dishserved in vast quantities at weddings in the Anatolian region ofTurkey. Serves two to three.
3 tbsp sunflower or olive oil
80g butter
2 onions, halved and thinly sliced
1kg neck of lamb or mutton, cut into 7cm pieces
2 bay leaves
150g pearl barley
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Warm two tablespoons of the oil and half the butter in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the onions and a good pinch of salt, and sauté, stirring from time to time, until the onions are soft and golden, about 15-20 minutes. Tip the onions into abowl and reserve.
Warm the rest of the oil in the pan in which you've cooked the onions. Season the lamb and brown on all sides. Pour over about 1.5 litres of water, add the bay leaves, bring to aboil and simmer, partially covered, until tender, adding more water if necessary. This should take about an hour to an hour and a half.
Strain the cooking liquid into a clean pan. Bring to a boil and add the pearl barley. Simmer for 15 minutes. While it's cooking, pick the meat from the lamb bones. Add the meat to the barley and continue cooking, stirring from time to time, until most of the stock has evaporated. Add half of the fried onion, season well and stir.
Warm half the remaining butter in a frying pan and re-fry the remaining onions until they are adeep, golden brown. Tip the pearl barley and lamb on to a warmed plate and scatter the browned onions over the top. Warm the remaining butter in the frying pan, add the cinnamon and fry very gently for a minute. Trickle the cinnamon butter over the dish and serve hot or warm.
Barley pilaf with mushrooms and dill
Pearl barley makes a creamy and tasty pilaf with the texture of a risotto. Serves four.
30g dried porcini
40g butter
1 tsp olive oil
2 onions, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
200g pearl barley
250g mushrooms (a mixture of cultivated and/or wild mushrooms works well), finely sliced
180ml white wine
About 600ml chicken, lamb or vegetable stock
2-3 tbsp chopped dill
4-6 tbsp sour cream or crème fraîche
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Soak the dried porcini in about 200ml hot water for at least 30 minutes before cooking them.
Warm half the butter in a large frying pan over a medium-low heat, and fry the onion until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes. Tipinto a bowl and reserve.
Remove the porcini from the soaking liquid with a slotted spoon.Slice them finely. Place a sieve lined with muslin or kitchen paper over a pan and strain the soaking liquid into the pan along with thestock and warm through.
Warm the remaining butter and oilin the frying pan over a high heat and sauté the fresh and dried mushrooms until they have lost their moisture and are starting to brown. Add the pearl barley, onions and garlic, and give everything a good stir. Pour in the white wine and stir. Once most of theliquid has evaporated, begin to add the hot stock/mushroom liquid by the generous ladleful, stirring andadding more liquid as the previous ladleful is absorbed, just asyou would with risotto. When thebarley is tender (you may not need all of the liquid), adjust the seasoning, stir in the dill and serve with dollops of sour cream or crème fraîche over the top.
Barley, raisin and walnut biscuits
The barley flour adds a slightly malty flavour to these easy, spicy biscuits. Barleycorn bread flour is available from Dove's Farm (dovesfarm.co.uk). Makes about 22 biscuits.
120g butter, softened, plus a little more for greasing
120g barleycorn bread flour
100g rolled oats
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
A few gratings of nutmeg
A good pinch of salt
90g light muscovado sugar
50g caster sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
70g raisins
70g walnuts, roughly chopped
Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Line two baking sheets with parchment and butter the parchment all over.
In a bowl, mix together the flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt in a bowl.
In a separate bowl, beat together the butter and sugars until creamy and light, then beat in the egg and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture, then fold in the raisins and walnuts. Chill for 15 minutes, then spoon tablespoonfuls of the mixture on to the baking sheets, leaving about 4cm between each one, and bake for10-12 minutes until golden. Leave to cool and firm up a bit on the trays for a couple of minutes, then place on a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
