Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

February 27

The Maine Ingredient: Recipes reflect Maine food history

By Brooke Dojny

(Continued from page 1)

You can jazz it up, of course. It calls for onion, and there are always mushrooms, celery and parsley. It is brainlessly simple to make and I extended the method to wheat berries, whole wheat grains. At times I use some of each.

It comes out pretty beige, so consider serving it with something green on it, like snipped chives, or parsley or scallions. Toasted almonds or some toasted seeds like sunflower or pumpkin seeds are a nice touch.

Servings: Four

2 to 4 tablespoons of butter and/or olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 cup of pearl barley

2 cups of broth, chicken or beef, or water

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350. Melt the butter in a heavy pan and saute the onion in it until the onion is soft. Add the barley and brown it a little, then put the barley into a buttered baking dish, and add one cup of the broth and the salt and pepper.

Bake for about 25 minutes, and when the liquid has been absorbed, add the second cup of broth or water. Bake for another 20 minutes or until that liquid is absorbed, too. Garnish to taste.

 

Brooke Dojny is author or co-author of more than a dozen cookbooks, most recently "Lobster!" (Storey, 2012). She lives on the Blue Hill peninsula, and can be contacted via Facebook at: facebook.com/brookedojny

 

Tweet