A PEARL barley risotto? Where’s the rice?

Okay, while a risotto made from pearl barley might not actually be a risotto, what else do you call this dish comprising that quintessentially British of all grains? I’m a great fan of risotto, with it’s 25 minutes of continuous stirring of the rice, which I find very relaxing and therapeutic at the end of a frantic day.

However, pearl barley needs no such thing and thus makes this a very quick and easy to prepare dish when you’ve just got in from work. If you don’t have spicy sausage such as chorizo, you could try chunks of smoked bacon instead.

Ingredients:

Serves Two

200g pearl barley

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 stick of celery, peeled and chopped

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1 sprig of fresh rosemary, leaves picked off

100g of spicy sausage, cubed

Rapeseed or olive oil Butter

Salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Method:

Put the carrot, celery and onion into a food processor or liquidiser and process until pureed. Scrape into a saucepan with a knob of butter and a similar amount of rapeseed or olive oil and cook gently until the vegetables are soft, being careful not to allow them to colour. It should take five to ten minutes. Add the pearl barley, enough water to cover and bring to the boil, simmering for 20 minutes or so until tender, stirring occasionally. If there’s any liquid left towards the end, increase the heat a little to boil it off.

A few minutes before the barley’s ready, heat another pan and add the sausage cubes. Cook for about five minutes and, as the fat starts to run, tip the lot into the barley. Add the rosemary leaves and stir, while adding a walnut-sized knob of butter.

Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary and then spoon into warm bowls.