Experience the beautiful flavours of this Buttery Parmesan and Sage Pearl Barley
Pearl barley is a wonderful substitute for rice; hearty, filling and with a warm comforting earthy flavour. Cooked in chicken or vegetable stock to enhance its flavour, it is pan-fried with butter and parmesan, then topped with crispy sage and burnt butter. Autumnal flavours at their best.
How long do you cook pearl barley?
Simply boil water and add barley, return to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and continue to lightly boil for 30 – 35 minutes. The barley should be cooked through but with a slight al dente chewy bite.
What is burnt butter?
Burnt Butter (beurre noisette in French), is regular butter that has been cooked to the point where water has evaporated and the natural milk solids in the butter turn golden brown. This produces a rich deep nutty toasty flavour which is delicious for drizzling on grains, bread, pasta, fish and much more.
How do you choose a good Parmesan cheese?
As the main flavours of this dish are butter, parmesan and sage, it’s recommended to use the best quality parmesan cheese you can find. Parmigiano Reggiano DOP is Italy’s famous DOP-certified parmesan and is produced under strict regulations in Moderna. To learn how to identify authentic parmesan cheese read Flaevors article on Parmigiano Reggiano here:
Recipe…
Buttery Parmesan and Sage Pearl Barley
Ingredients
- 140 g pearl barley
- 1 tablespoon of powdered chicken stock or a cube.
- 60 g grated parmesan
- 80 g butter
- 1 tsp marjoram
- 12 Sage leaves
- Salt and pepper
- Extra grated parmesan for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a medium saucepan with water. Add chicken stock and bring to boil. Add barley and boil for 35 minutes. Drain.
- Gently heat half the butter in a non-stick frying pan. When melted, add pearl barley and marjoram and coat in the butter. Once hot and starting to sizzle, add a splash of water along with grated parmesan and cracked black pepper. Stir to combine evenly and cook until parmesan has melted. Remove from heat but leave the heat on. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary.
- Divide barley between 2 bowls and keep warm. Return pan to the heat and add the remaining butter and sage leaves. Cook over medium heat until sage becomes crispy and butter starts to brown, but not burn.
- Drizzle butter and sage leaves over parmesan barely and serve with extra parmesan for garnish.
