# Pearl Barley



## FraidKnot (Oct 11, 2006)

Not only is barley a great addition to soup but it makes a great side dish rather than rice.

1/3 cup pearl barley
1 cup of water or broth or stock
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. butter

Bring the water to a boil and add the barley, salt, pepper and butter.  Cover and bake in a 325F oven for 30 minutes until the barley is tender.  This is delicous as a side dish.  Serves 2 and may be doubled.


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## DaCook (Oct 11, 2006)

cool, never thought of it as a side dish. Thanks.


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## Ishbel (Oct 11, 2006)

Barley has always been a popular addition to Scottish stews, casseroles and soups - as well as used as a side dish.  In the last couple of years, I've found that some of the upmarket restaurants are replacing the ubiquitious 'served on a bed of puy lentils' with 'served on a bed of barley'!


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## FraidKnot (Oct 11, 2006)

Ishbel said:
			
		

> Barley has always been a popular addition to Scottish stews, casseroles and soups - as well as used as a side dish. In the last couple of years, I've found that some of the upmarket restaurants are replacing the ubiquitious 'served on a bed of puy lentils' with 'served on a bed of barley'!


 
 My last name is McQuown... you can't get much more Scottish than that!  Aye, we eat barley and we eat pinhead oats and if you ask me nicely I'll gee ya the recipe for lamb stew! 

Fraidy


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## Robo410 (Oct 11, 2006)

please for your receipt for lamb stew; I've a shoulder in the cooler right now awaiting the cooker.


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## ChefJune (Oct 11, 2006)

sounds tasty!  There are lots of grains to use as an alternative to rice.  One of my favorites is millet.

BUT, you all  know the one about Pearl Barley, don't you?     A  woman of a certain age went into one of those multi-purpose stores where they sell a little bit of a lot of different items, and asked the clerk: "Do you have pearl barley?"  The clerk paused, then asked a colleague who shook her head.  Finally, the clerk entered "pearl barley" into the search box on her computer.  When an answer popped up, she seemed very pleasedm and happily told the customer, "No, we've no Pearl Barley, but we do have some Ella Fitzgerald over in the Jazz section!"


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## Ishbel (Oct 11, 2006)

FraidKnot said:
			
		

> My last name is McQuown... you can't get much more Scottish than that! Aye, we eat barley and we eat pinhead oats and if you ask me nicely I'll gee ya the recipe for lamb stew!
> 
> Fraidy


 
Is that a variation of  MacEwan?  It's not a spelling I've ever come across in Scotland.  But that's a bit like Frazier....  no-one here spells Fraser with an 's' and  'I'  

I'm sure everyone would enjoy any recipe you have for lamb - I've posted quite a few in the past.

I use a lot of steel cut oats, pin-head and other sizes, but that's cos I make a lot of home-made oatcakes, skirlie etc.


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## Katie H (Oct 11, 2006)

Love barley, too.  I use it a lot, particularly in the colder months.  And I also use it as a side dish.

One of the frustrations I have been having the last several years is that my area grocery stores carry only the "quick" barley and I prefer the old-fashioned type.

Also really, really like steel-cut oats and have discovered that a store near me carries McCann's, which we love.  Had been getting it mail order before.


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## FraidKnot (Oct 11, 2006)

Ishbel said:
			
		

> Is that a variation of  MacEwan?  It's not a spelling I've ever come across in Scotland.  But that's a bit like Frazier....  no-one here spells Fraser with an 's' and  'I'
> 
> I'm sure everyone would enjoy any recipe you have for lamb - I've posted quite a few in the past.
> 
> I use a lot of steel cut oats, pin-head and other sizes, but that's cos I make a lot of home-made oatcakes, skirlie etc.



It's a variation of McEwan... I can trace my family back to 1679, the battle of Bothwell Bridge.  We were captured 

Lamb stew is just like beef stew.  Just cut some lamb into chunks and add some barley.  It's what you carry in your sprorran! 

Jillian


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## Shunka (Oct 11, 2006)

Funny that barley should come up as I made a huge pot of beef stew with lots of pearl barley in it yesterday!!!!  Happy eating for me all week!!!!!!!


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## Half Baked (Oct 11, 2006)

I make barley pilaf on occassion...just subbing cooked barley for rice.


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## Ishbel (Oct 11, 2006)

FraidKnot said:
			
		

> It's a variation of McEwan... I can trace my family back to 1679, the battle of Bothwell Bridge. We were captured
> 
> Lamb stew is just like beef stew. Just cut some lamb into chunks and add some barley. It's what you carry in your sprorran!
> 
> Jillian


 
Most 'lamb' stews in Scotland started out as mutton stews.  Lamb was always considered too fine a meat to stew - although I obviously stew it nowadays cos mutton is harder to come by!

My family have never left Scotland (well, branches did... to Canada, Australia and New Zealand, mostly..... as did so many Scots)


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## FraidKnot (Oct 12, 2006)

True, mutton was cheaper.  I have a hard time finding mutton in the States   My father's ancestors arrived here in 1679, landed at Perth Amboy, NJ.  My mom's parents arrived around 1919.  We're all Scottish 

Speaking of lamb, I got a couple of nice lamb loin chops at the grocery store yesterday and I'll be grilling today.


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## Ishbel (Oct 12, 2006)

I won't get into the 'You are an American of Scots ancestry, not a Scot argument..' 

I had lamb gigot chops for dinner last night with chappit tatties and bashed neeps, a little redcurrant gravy and brussel sprouts.  YUM


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## FraidKnot (Oct 12, 2006)

Ishbel said:
			
		

> I won't get into the 'You are an American of Scots ancestry, not a Scot argument..'
> 
> I had lamb gigot chops for dinner last night with chappit tatties and bashed neeps, a little redcurrant gravy and brussel sprouts. YUM


 
Of course I'm an American but heh... I can pronounce Kirkintillach!  When we were at the motel in Dickeyville, WI, the proprietess was Scottish and she thought I was Scottish.  In fact, weird as it may sound, when we did a show in Highland, Illinois, a waitress at the diner took one look at me and offered me tea rather than coffee.  I looked at John and said, "What was that about?"  He said, "You look Scottish".  Huh.  I had no idea Scots had a certain "look"!


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## Ishbel (Oct 12, 2006)

FraidKnot said:
			
		

> Of course I'm an American but heh... I can pronounce Kirkintillach! When we were at the motel in Dickeyville, WI, the proprietess was Scottish and she thought I was Scottish. In fact, weird as it may sound, when we did a show in Highland, Illinois, a waitress at the diner took one look at me and offered me tea rather than coffee. I looked at John and said, "What was that about?" He said, "You look Scottish". Huh. I had no idea Scots had a certain "look"!


 
Well, it's really KirkintillOch!  And I am unaware that there's a Scottish look....  some of us (like me) are what are thought of as typical Scots, ie fair skin, freckles and red hair.  But then my Dad had blue black hair - a kind of black Scots (but then he was a highlander).. and my mum was a strawberry blonde.  My sister is just a mousey-brown.  We honestly come in all shapes, sizes and colourings.  I think there is a lot of Brigadoonery about Scotland the Scots from those abroad!


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## jpmcgrew (Oct 12, 2006)

I also really like pearl barley.Last week I made a vegetable beef soup with beef shanks and bone marrow dumplings made with the marrow of the beef shanks I then added some barley instead of the green spelt the recipe calls for and which I dont have and it turned out great.


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## FraidKnot (Oct 12, 2006)

Ishbel said:
			
		

> Well, it's really KirkintillOch!



OCH!  Aye!  Grandba Brown was from Kirkintilloch and Grandma (Douglas) Brown was from Twechar.  One of these days I'll be over for a visit.  BTW, I don't know what "look" Scots have, either.  It was just weird the waitress immediately offered me tea rather than asking if I wanted coffee.


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## Ishbel (Oct 13, 2006)

jpmcgrew said:
			
		

> I also really like pearl barley.Last week I made a vegetable beef soup with beef shanks and bone marrow dumplings made with the marrow of the beef shanks I then added some barley instead of the green spelt the recipe calls for and which I dont have and it turned out great.


 
Sounds like a good soup, jpmcgrew!  The weather is getting colder and certainly wetter, or as we say 'driech'.... soup is great for this sort of weather and your recipe sounds ort of like Scotch broth (without the addition of the dumplings).


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## Gretchen (Oct 18, 2006)

Barley can also be cooked like a risotto.
One addition I love in my lamb stew is turnips.


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## boufa06 (Oct 18, 2006)

Gosh Gretchen, the mere mention of turnips reminds me of Chinese spring rolls.  Alas sweet turnips are not available here, so on the few occasions when I had to prepare spring rolls for a party, I replaced them with the German variety.  Now that it's pumpkin season, I think it's a good idea to use them instead.

Pearl barley can also be used as a healthy drink to 'cool' the system during hot days especially when you are nursing a bad sore throat.  To prepare it, simply boil them in a pot of water.  When the barley starts to soften, add sugar or honey.  You can add a sprig of rose geranium or pandan leaves if available, to flavour it.  Serve it with or without the barley.  The uncooked barley can be used later in soups, stews etc.


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## Ishbel (Oct 18, 2006)

Robinson's Lemon Barley Water is a staple in the UK, and has been since the 1930s.  It is also a sponsor of the LTA's Wimbledon Fortnight every year.  It really is good!


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## boufa06 (Oct 18, 2006)

Ishbel said:
			
		

> Robinson's Lemon Barley Water is a staple in the UK, and has been since the 1930s.  It is also a sponsor of the LTA's Wimbledon Fortnight every year.  It really is good!



I'm sure barley water with lemon tastes good but it can't beat the real stuff, free of preservatives and additives and that ie. homemade - cheap, healthy and good.  Add lemon juice at the end if you like.


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## Ishbel (Oct 18, 2006)

It has no additives.  Water, barley, sugar and lemon juice (or orange juice).

Edited to add:  it appears there is a low sugar version which uses saccharin instead of real sugar!


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## Gretchen (Oct 18, 2006)

boufa06 said:
			
		

> Gosh Gretchen, the mere mention of turnips reminds me of Chinese spring rolls. Alas sweet turnips are not available here, so on the few occasions when I had to prepare spring rolls for a party, I replaced them with the German variety.
> 
> I don't think I know what "sweet" turnips are--or the German ones either. ;o)Ours are either "white" (have a purple skin) or "yellow" (rutabagas).


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## boufa06 (Oct 18, 2006)

Gretchen,
The sweet turnips are the Asian variety which are whitish in colour.  They are either eaten raw in salads or cooked.  The German ones have light purplish skin and taste almost like radish.


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## JohnL (Oct 18, 2006)

Barley makes a great side dish, I often cook it when I get tired of rice.
I also like to add it to my bean soup.
(Must add to grocery list, I'm out of stock)


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## Gretchen (Oct 18, 2006)

boufa06 said:
			
		

> Gretchen,
> The sweet turnips are the Asian variety which are whitish in colour. They are either eaten raw in salads or cooked. The German ones have light purplish skin and taste almost like radish.


 
Thanks. I guess I do know them. Just didn't know the names.


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## Michelemarie (Oct 19, 2006)

FraidKnot said:
			
		

> Not only is barley a great addition to soup but it makes a great side dish rather than rice.
> 
> 1/3 cup pearl barley
> 1 cup of water or broth or stock
> ...


 
I love barley but have only had it in soup - this sounds good, thanks!


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## MasterChefPierre (Dec 19, 2008)

Jillian !!! As me sainted grandmother would say, hogwash. More like Jill or the once used Jyl , equally hogwash lassie. My family settled in Pennsylvania, and the McQuown name is known in both Indianna and Rayne townships.  Robespierre is the actual family name. We knew both Paine and Jefferson. Yeah, my forfather was executed. Strange twist of fate actually.


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## Wyogal (Dec 27, 2008)

Back when our kids were toddlers and my husband was in graduate school, we ate barley pilaf quite a bit.  It was filling, and the kids loved it. We did alot of lentils, too. We lived within walking distance of a health food store where i could buy quality product in bulk. I prefer it as a pilaf, don't care for it in soup at all.


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