# Chicken with barley stuffing



## jet (Nov 4, 2007)

I am going to be baking a whole chicken with a pearled barley stuffing.  Should I pre-cook the barley before stuffing the chicken?  My first thought is to parboil the barley.


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## miniman (Nov 4, 2007)

I would personally. I've never used pearl barley but have done a rice based stufing and that was cooked beforehand.


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## PytnPlace (Nov 4, 2007)

Oh definately precook.  It would be like sticking raw rice into the bird.  There won't be enough moisture in there to cook fully.


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## QSis (Nov 4, 2007)

ooo!  I love barley!  It takes forever to cook till tender, so I'd cook it all the way through before stuffing the bird.

Would you please post your recipe, jet?

Lee


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## jet (Nov 5, 2007)

QSis said:


> ooo!  I love barley!  It takes forever to cook till tender, so I'd cook it all the way through before stuffing the bird.
> 
> Would you please post your recipe, jet?
> 
> Lee



I do not have a recipe yet, but I will post a recap after the fact (although it will be a couple of weeks).


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## auntdot (Nov 5, 2007)

IMHO it must be cooked.  Sounds interesting, please post when you get the recipe.


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## Andy M. (Nov 5, 2007)

Not to mention the fact that barley, even pearled barley, swells a good deal when cooked.  It's volume could "exceed the ability of the chicken to contain it."


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## jet (Nov 5, 2007)

Andy M. said:


> Not to mention the fact that barley, even pearled barley, swells a good deal when cooked.  It's volume could "exceed the ability of the chicken to contain it."



Good point.


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## Dave Hutchins (Nov 5, 2007)

Cook your barley first. I grind mine in a spice grinder and use it to thicken some soups and some sauces it cookes quicker if ground


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## T-roy (Nov 6, 2007)

Andy M. said:


> It's volume could "exceed the ability of the chicken to contain it."


 
Looks like a science experiment in the making.


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## jet (Dec 9, 2007)

I finally made the recipe and here are the ingredients:
Pearled barley (pre-cooked)
Chopped onion
Mushrooms
Thyme
Rosemary
Parsley
I stuffed the chicken and had some barley left, so I placed it in the baking bag with the chicken.  I dusted the chicken with poultry seasoning and some salt.

It turned out excellent and I will most certainly be making this again.


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