Barley is an amazing alternative to your regular oatmeal. The grain is extremely nutritious, tastes incredibly nutty and it has the added benefit of soaking up the flavours of whatever it is cooked with. This is why you see barley normally featured as a hearty accompaniment in a savoury dish. Here we use this to our advantage for something sweet by adding juice and even alcohol to the cooking liquid. The result is astounding as the barley kernels turn into little explosive grenades of flavour.
-Matt Miller
PREPARATION TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: 20 minutes
1-2 servings
200ml water
200ml apple juice
100g of spouted pearled barley
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
220g rhubarb finely chopped or 100g rhubarb compote (see recipe)
25ml lemoncello, cointreau (or citrus liqueur)
1 tbls Crème Fraîche for garnish
1 tbls raw honey for garnish
4-5 servings
600ml water
600ml apple juice
300g of spouted pearled barley
2 tbls vanilla bean paste
500g rhubarb finely chopped or 220g rhubarb compote (see recipe)
100ml lemoncello, cointreau (or citrus liqueur)
220g Crème Fraîche for garnish
100g raw honey for garnish
In a saucepan combine all ingredients over a medium low heat. Maintain a gentle simmer versus a boil. Stir occasionally to ensure the bottom does not get burned. If a thinner consistency is desired, add a touch of juice. For a thicker consistency continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
Ladle porridge in bowls, then top with a dollop of creme fraiche and a drizzle of honey.
Chef tip: Sprouted grains are always best to unlock the nutrient potential , but never fear if you cannot find a supply regular barley will do. Pearled means that the exterior bran has been polished away and this reduces the cooking time. Unpearled barley which will appear brown and not beige in color is a level higher in nutritional elements but also takes much longer to cook. If using unhusked barley remember that you will also need to increase both the cooking times and water by 1/3. The good news is it stores in the refrigerator well for up to one week and reheats in a microwave incredibly well with the addition of a touch of fresh water stirred in.
