Cookbook:Stovetop Barley

Stovetop Barley
Category	Barley recipes
Servings	2
Time	30-90 minutes
Difficulty

Barley is a nutritious grain popular across the world. While it is most commonly used in cooking as an ingredient in stews or to add flavour to breads, barley can be prepared much as any other staple grain such as wheat berries or rice. With its low glycemic index, barley is especially well-suited to those at risk of or suffering with diabetes, or those who like chewier, more toothsome grains. This article discusses the preparation of barley on the stove, as a staple grain rather than an ingredient in a larger dish. Barley is not suitable for coeliacs or others with an intolerance to gluten.

Barley at most stores is typically sold as either as a whole grain, known as hulled, pot, or scotch barley; or as a processed grain with the bran and hull removed, commonly called pearl barley. Pearl barley has a more mild flavour and cooks faster, but lacks the fiber and nutrition of pot barley, and also has a higher glycemic index. Both types of barley have a very long shelflife, and store well. Barley will yield roughly three times its dry volume when cooked.

Method 1: ("Rice Method")

• 1 cup barley
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 2 tsp Neutral cooking oil (optional)

Procedure

1. Rinse grain under running water until water runs clear if desired.
2. Place grain in a pot and cover with 3 parts of water for every 1 part of grain.
3. Add a small amount of oil to prevent or reduce foaming.
4. Bring to a boil, skimming any foam that forms. Reduce to a simmer. Cover.
5. Remove from heat once all the water has absorbed, and fluff like rice.

Pearl barley cooks in 30 minutes, while pot barley will typically take around an hour.

Method 2: ("Pasta Method")

This method frees the cook from having to worry about the amount of water initially used, thereby removing the risk of grossly under-cooked barley that exists with the rice (absorption) method. It is useful when one wishes to leave the barley largely unattended (as the risk of scorching and sticking are all but non-existent), or when one cannot find the lid to one's pot.

• barley
• Enough water to cover the dry barley by several inches
• Salt (optional)
• Neutral cooking oil (optional)

Procedure

1. Rinse grain under running water until water runs clear if desired.
2. Place grain in a pot and cover well
3. Optionally, add a small amount of oil to reduce foaming
4. Bring to a boil, skimming any foam that forms. Reduce to a simmer. Cover, or place a wooden spoon across the uncovered pot to reduce the risk of foaming.
5. Boil until barley grains have swelled to 3 times their original size and are a semiopaque white.
6. Drain into a colander

The cook time for this method is identical to the rice method above.

Notes

• Some prefer a firmer barley, while others cook it longer for a softer mouthfeel. While pearl barley may eventually break down, pot barley is extremely difficult to overcook to the point of mushiness.
• Barley may be soaked for up to several hours before cooking to soften the grains and reduce the cooking time by 1/3 to 1/2. This is particularly useful for pot barley.
• Barley foams more reliably than beans and should be watched until it has been boiling for several minutes
• Barley prepared in this fashion substitutes well for rice -- and indeed, Korean and Japanese peasants would have historically eaten large quantities of barley relative to rice, just as most English peasants ate barley bread more often than wheat bread due to its lower cost.
• For a more flavorsome dish, barley can be cooked using the pilaf method.