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. This recipe is for the preparation of barley on the stove, much like how rice is prepared.
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 it lacks the fiber and nutrition of pot barley and has a higher glycemic index. Barley will yield roughly three times its dry volume when cooked.
Ingredients
- 1 cup barley
- 3 cups water
- ½ tsp salt (optional)
- 2 tsp neutral cooking oil (optional, to reduce foaming)
Procedure
- If desired, rinse barley under running water until water runs clear.
- Combine the barley, water, salt, and oil in a pot.
- Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that forms.
- Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until all the water is absorbed by the barley.
- Remove from heat, and fluff like rice.
Notes, tips, and variations
- 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. Pearl barley cooks in 30 minutes, while pot barley will typically take around an hour.
- Barley may be soaked for up to several hours before cooking to soften the grains and reduce the cooking time by ⅓ to ½. 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.