1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
1 clove garlic
10 mushrooms
1 mug pearl barley
1 pint chicken or veg stock
juice of half a lemon
small bunch parsley
1 cup greek yoghurt
1 tomato
1 cup grated cheddar
This is a bit like a baked risotto, made with pearl barley instead of rice. It is less intensive and more forgiving than making a risotto as you don’t have to permanently stir it.
Finely chop the onion and crush the garlic. Clean the mushrooms and slice. Wash and chop the parsley.
Fry the onion and garlic gently in the oil, then add the barley and stir for a couple of minutes. Add about a third of the stock and leave to simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the mushrooms and lemon juice.
Continue to stir and add stock until the barley is tender (it will still remain slightly chewy). The barley should be plump and there should be some liquid, but it won’t get stodgy like a risotto. The whole process takes around 40 minutes. Add the parsley, check for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
Heat the oven to 200c. Wash and thinly slice the tomato. Pour the mixture into an oven proof dish, cover with the yoghurt as a thin layer, top with a layer of the sliced tomato, then sprinkle the cheese on top of that. Bake for around 20 minutes until the cheese has browned.
Serve with a fresh mixed salad.
This is a lovely, tangy, chewy, mushroomy supper dish. It is good reheated for lunches too.
