Posts tagged pearl barley

Lamb & Guinness sticky (Irish) Stew

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his recipe from one of Jamie Oliver’s first cookbooks (Jamie’s Kitchen 2002!) has been sitting on my shelf for years with the page turned down as a reminder to cook it and I never have. Shameful. It’s taken me about 10 years but ‘Dark, Sticky Stew’ is a must for January 2021 for reasons I don’t think I need to explain.

This reminds me of an Irish stew with the addition of the soul soothing pearl barley which has an amazing ability to soak up all the meaty stock. However this one has a slight twist with the addition of chipolata sausages! Its still an odd addition I’m not overly sure about (so omit if you like) as the lamb is the hero itself. Given it reminded me of an Irish Stew I thought it the perfect time to add some dumplings and introduce my South African fiancee to this delicious treat. Light, fluffy and moreish, dumpling done this way are the best and remind me of such wonderful home comforts form my childhood. Most millennials probably don’t even know what Suet is !

It seemed fitting that we celebrated Burns Night last week with some haggis to follow it with some Irish Stew. Maybe some eccles cakes are next on the agenda…

Serves 4-6 (Adapted from here)

  • 800g stewing lamb, diced into big chunks (I used neck fillets, you want something that will slow cook nicely)
  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 1 punnet mushrooms (of choice) roughly chopped
  • 3 large carrots, chopped into horizontal chunks
  • 2-3 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 8 tbsp pearl barely (of a big handful)
  • 1 tbsp marmite/Bovril
  • 300ml Guinness/Ale
  • Hot beef/chicken stock (300-500ml)
  • 12 chipolata sausages (optional)
  • Parsley, chopped to serve
  • 1 lemon, zest to serve

Dumplings (makes 4 average sized, double it for more)

  • 100g self tasing flour
  • 50g vegetable suet
  • Handful chopped parsley
  • Cold water
  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
  2. Sprinkle the lamb in a tablespoon of flour and some salt and pepper and mix. Heat a heavy based casserole dish with a splash of oil. When hot, add the lamb and seal on all sides until beginning to brown and create a lovely caramelised outside. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  3. To the pan juices and oils, add the carrot, onion, garlic and mushrooms and cook gently until soft for about 8-10 minutes. Season well and add the chopped rosemary.
  4. Stir all to combine and add the lamb back.
  5. Add the Guinness/Ale, marmite, pearl barely and mix all to combine. (take a sip of Guinness for your hard work…)
  6. Add the sausages if using making sure they are on top.
  7. Top up with as much stock as you need just to cover the mixture but don’t drown it. This will reduced down in the oven but you want to add enough moisture so its doesn’t dry out and leaves enough moisture to cook those dumplings.
  8. Cook in the oven for 1 hour with a lid on.
  9. Before the hour is up, make the dumplings by mixing the flour, suet, parsley and salt and pepper in a bowl. Add a few tablespoons of cold water and mix with a fork until it comes together. Don’t be tempted to add too much water but add enough until it just forms a dough.
  10. Once you have a nice dough ball (don’t knead/ overwork it) cut into 4 pieces and roll into balls.
  11. Remove the casserole after 1 hour and turn the heat up to 200 degrees.
  12. Place the dumplings into the casserole so they are half submerged and half exposed.
  13. Pop back in the hot oven for 20 minutes to brown on top and get those sausages all golden.
  14. Serve with a scattering of parsley and some lemon zest with a big ladleful into warmed dishes!

If you aren’t adding dumplings, a nice hunk of fresh sourdough is lovely for dipping and soaking up those juices! However, its perfectly filling and satisfying just on its own.

 

Turkish Spiced Meatballs

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hilst the weather today has been glorious and sunny its still felt a little chilly around the ankles and certainly not the April weather I was hoping for! But as long as it isn’t April showers and May holds more promise then I can cope with that. So a Sunday evening after a long and satisfying gym session, run and ahem…jacuzzi session….a home comfort was required to replenish the nutrients and fuel me for another challenging week at work. But nothing on ‘forage in the pantry’ can be complete without the odd scattering of spice, dusting of chopped herbs or middle Eastern influence. So with Istanbul on the mind as the new top draw on my prized ‘must visit’ list, Turkish meatballs sprang to hungry mind and it wasn’t long before I was enjoying a satisfied hunger.

Serves 2

Meatballs

  • 450g minced lamb
  • 2 tbsp raisins
  • 3 tbsp pistachios, roughly chopped
  • Pinch smoked paprika
  • Pinch ground cumin
  • Handful flat leaf parsley, chopped

Sauce

  • 1 can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp cumin seed, crushed
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 50g pearl barley/100g giant cous cous
  • Large handful flat leaf parsley, chopped
  1. Start by combining the meatball ingredients in a large bowl with some seasoning. Shape into 8 large golf ball sized meatballs and chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
  2. Simmer the pearl barley/giant cous cous in boiling water until cooked according to packet instructions. Drain and set aside to keep warm.
  3. Preheat the over to 170°C and remove the meatballs from the fridge. Heat a splash of olive oil in a frying pan over medium high heat.
  4. Fry the meatballs to seal and brown for 2-3 minutes. Once well browned on the outside, wrap in some foil and place in the low oven to bake slowly while you prepare the sauce.
  5. Fry the chopped onion in the leftover lamb juices in the same frying pan adding a little more oil if needed. Soften for 5 minutes until translucent and beginning to brown. Add the chopped garlic and cook for a few more minutes.
  6. Add the ground spices and mix to coat the onion.
  7. Add the chopped tomatoes and a little hot water to thin the sauce to the desired consistency and add some salt and pepper.
  8. Simmer for 5 minutes before adding the vinegar, the drained barely and all but a handful of the parsley. Taste and adjust accordingly. Add a little more water if needed.
  9. Remove the meatballs from the over and add, with any juices from the foil, to the pan. Simmer for a few minutes to heat through.
  10. Serve in deep warmed bowls topped with a scattering of the remaining parsley.

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Harissa Chicken With Orange Herb Barley Salad

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ts safe to say I’m a fan of Greece. The food, the weather, the glassy wakeboard inviting waters and the calming pace of life. I’ve even been partial to the odd Greek wine! I visit every year for my dose of Vitamin D and halloumi and to brush up on my water sports. But I’ll focus on the food for the time being. After experimenting with a unassuming pack of Odysea’s deliciously authentic Saganaki cheese last year it was time to venture into their range a bit more with my appreciation of Greece and the Med. Being the good natured Greek loving company that they are I arrived home one Friday evening after work to a box of delightful goodies to sample and experiment with!

And sample I did.

This recipe is adapted from a Bill Granger combination I once saw and with all the right flavours from Odysea (with the odd ‘forage in the pantry’ twist) it was the perfect foundation for my med inspired dish to help prolong the recent spring sun. The roasted oranges add a really unusual touch here along with the gentle spicing which are a perfect match with Odysea’s punchy, creamy and crumbly feta cheese. Heaps of mint, dill and lemon juice bring it all to life and sooth the post harissa spice! One to give a go on a sunny but still brisk Spring evening.

Serves 4

  • 2 small oranges
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1 tsp ‘Odysea Wild Thyme & Fragrant Honey’
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 200g pearl barely or spelt
  • Juice 1 lemon
  • 1 carrot grated
  • 200g ‘Odysea Greek Feta‘, crumbled in large chunks
  • Large handful mint leaves
  • Small handful dill, finely chopped
  • 2 small poussin (or 4 joints of chicken e.g. chicken legs, thighs etc)
  • 4-6 tbsp of ‘Odysea Harissa spread‘ or 2 tbsp harissa paste
  •  2 large garlic cloves
  • Salad to serve – I used a crisp mix of chicory, little gems and watercress dressed in some lemon and extra virgin olive oil (Odysea of course)
  1. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
  2. Marinade the poussin in the harissa, seasoning well and then add 1 pealed, gently crushed garlic clove to each cavity and set aside.Jess - Harissa Chicken5
  3. Slice the oranges thinly and place on a lined baking tray evenly spread. Grind the fennel, cumin and chilli flakes in a pestle and mortar and then add the honey and olive oil and mix well. Coat the oranges slices in the mixture.
  4. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, keeping an eye on them until they begin to caramelise and char. This time with vary depending on how juicy the oranges are. Leave to cool slightly.
  5. Cook the barely or spelt according to the packet instructions until tender then drain well and leave to cool to room temperature.
  6. Meanwhile, turn the oven down to 190°C and place the poussin on a lined baking tray. Bake for around 40 minutes until tender and the juices run clear. Set aside to rest while you finish the salad.
  7. Add the warm oranges slices to the drained grains.
  8. Stir in the juice of the lemon, plenty of salt and pepper and the chopped dill.
  9. Scatter in the crumbled feta, the grated carrot and stir to combine.
  10. Finally, roughly chop the mint at the last minute and add to the grains and stir.
  11. Loosen with a little more lemon or a splash of extra virgin olive oil if needed
  12. Carve your rested poussin in half and serve half each alongside the grain and green salad, scattered with extra mint if you like

NOTES: This would also be lovely with a side of warm pillowy flatbreads, dipped into a cleansing and fresh lime and coriander yoghurt or tzatziki.

For a wine match I would suggest a fresh Chenin Blanc or the slightly aromatic taste of  Viognier.

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Beetroot Arancini, Chestnut Humus, Hazelnuts

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s hard as it is to admit, the long balmy evenings are getting darker and shorter and noticeably less balmy. Autumn is whistling in the air and the wind if whipping the leaves around my now boot clad and sock warmed feet. I adore summer more than you can imagine and I’m always reluctant and depressed to let it go but the potential of Autumn and its bountiful harvest are just too exciting for a foodie like myself and one of the many reasons I adore the English seasons. Pears, plums, apples, pumpkins, game, beetroot and cobnuts. I get far to excited, overwhelmed and overjoyed at the inspiration for Autumnal dinners. A little recipe testing this weekend creating some new dishes in preparation for an Autumnal dinner party I have approaching was the cause for this one.

I’m not normally a huge believer in the arancini concept as generally most things taste good deep fried. I do adore them though – oozing with cheese or glamourised with truffle oil and mushrooms. However, I always wonder if they are more delicious and successful than the risotto itself? For me they are usually an after thought for any leftover risotto you might (surprisingly and hard to image) have as leftovers. But I’ve always admired anyone who makes risotto with the intention of just making arancini. That said I make double the batch and devoured the liquid form for dinner and the deep-fried leftovers the night after.

These subtly spiced, earthy, warm, crispy oozing arancini are the perfect start to the season. Creamy, deeply flavoured whipped chestnut humus and nutty toasted hazelnuts are the perfect addition. All cleanly cut through with some fresh, sharp and zesty lemony rocket and a hearty spiced glass of Pinot Noir. Lets welcome Autumn in style.

NOTE: I would highly suggest making the arancini in the morning before a dinner but ideally overnight. Ensure you have made the humus and garnish beforehand so that arancini are the last thing to cook and are hot, crispy and freshly served immediately.

Serves 6

Beetroot Arancini – try and make the evening before if you can

  • 120g pearl barely
  • 1 pint hot chicken stock
  • 125ml red wine
  • 1 small red onion, chopped finely
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped finely
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted and lightly ground
  • 200g cooked beetroot, pureed in a food processor
  • Large handful finely grated parmesan
  • 1 knob butter
  • ½ lemon
  • 1 egg
  • Plain flour
  • Breadcrumbs
  • Sunflower oil for deep frying
  1. Heat half a knob of butter with a small splash of oil in a saucepan. Very gently sweat the red onion in the butter for about 10 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cumin cook for a few more minutes. Season
  2. Turn the heat up to medium high and add the pearl barely. Toast in the pan with the onion stirring all the time. Next add the wine and simmer off until reduced.
  3. Turn the heat down to a gentle simmer and add the hot stock, ladle by ladle, adding more only after each addition has been absorbed. Continue for about 25minutes or so until the pearl barley is tender. Keep adding stock until the barley is cooked but don’t drown the mixture especially towards the end of the cooking time or it will be too runny.
  4. When the barley is cooked, stir through the beetroot puree and taste and season again. Bring back up to the heat to warm through.
  5. Add the grated cheese, another knob of butter and a generous squeeze of lemon juice and remove form the heat. Place the lid on top and leave it sit and rest.
  6. Stir to combine the cheese. Leave to cook until cold in the fridge, ideally overnight.
  7. When cold and almost solid, its time to make the arancini.
  8. Get 3 bowls ready with the beaten egg, a handful or two of flour and the breadcrumbs
  9. Divide the risotto into 6 or so large spoonfuls and form into balls just a bit larger than a golf ball.
  10. Roll in the flour, the beaten egg and finally give a good coating in the breadcrumbs. Set aside on a plate.
  11. Heat a large pan of oil at lease deep enough to come up half the side of the arancini (8cm or so). Heat to a medium high heat on the hob. Test the temperature with a piece of dry bread. If it sizzles and turns golden its ready!
  12. Get a few sheets of kitchen roll and use them to line a shallow bowl or plate.
  13. Add the arancini, 3 or so at a time depending on the size of your pan. Fry, turning half way one the underside is a light golden brown.
  14. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on the kitchen paper.
  15. Serve immediately as below.

Chestnut Humus

  • 200g vacuum packed chestnuts
  • 1/2 lemon
  • Knob butter
  • Olive oil
  1. Place the chestnuts in a saucepan with just enough water to cover, the butter and some salt.
  2. Bring to the simmer and cook for about 3-4 minutes to soften the chestnuts.
  3. Drain, reserving the liquid.
  4. Place in the bowl of a food processor with some seasoning and blend. Add a splash or two of the reserved water to loosen and blend until beginning to smooth. Keep adding the water until the mixture is smooth but still thick. Add the lemon juice and then thin to the desired consistency with the oil.
  5. Check the seasoning.

Breadcrumbs

  • Couple of large handfuls of brown breadcrumbs
  • Handful of hazelnuts, roasted, halved
  • 2-3 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
  1. Heat a splash of oil in a hot frying pan. Add the breadcrumbs and fry until beginning to turn golden. Season and add the roasted hazelnuts and fry for a few more moments.
  2. Turn the heat down a little and add the parsley to wilt and crisp.
  3. Remove from the what and allow to cool slightly.

To assemble…

  • Spoon a large tablespoon of so of chestnut puree onto the plate
  • Top with some rocket leaves dressed in lemon juice
  • Top with the hot arancini
  • Scatter over the crunchy crumbs
  • Devour

WINE: I hugely recommend something with a little spice to it to complement the cumin here. The earthy beetroot is a lovely match for a lovely Pinot Noir. Try this Paper Road Pinot Noir from Borthwick Estate available at Armit Wines.

 

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