Bundles of fresh herbs, a lemony vinaigrette, mixed with buttery mushrooms, fried shallots, and a generous grating of parmesan make this barley salad a delicious blend light of and hearty flavours.
Ingredients
1 cup pearl barley
2 shallots (thinly sliced)
⅓ cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp olive oil
12 ounces mushrooms (we used Crimini & Shimeji Mushrooms)
2 sprigs of thyme
1 garlic clove (crushed)
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp lemon juice
1½ ounces parmesan (plus more for serving)
Instructions
In a small pot, add 1 cup of uncooked pearl barley to 2.5 cups of water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a light simmer, cover with lid and cook for about 45 minutes until water is absorbed. In a strainer, rinse cooked barley under cold water, removing any excess starches.
While barley is cooking, fry shallots in a pan, with a ⅓ cup of vegetable oil on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
Once golden brown, transfer shallots to paper towel with a slotted spoon, season with a pinch of salt, and let cool.
Drain shallot cooking oil into a small dish for later use.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil to medium-high heat.
Add mushrooms to the skillet, making sure they are evenly spaced and not overcrowding the pan. Allow them to cook about 3 minutes, before stirring, until the underside becomes golden brown.
Season with salt & pepper, and continue cooking about 5 minutes, stirring regularly until golden brown all over. If the pan is too hot while cooking mushrooms, reduce the heat.
Reduce heat to medium, and add thyme, garlic, and butter to the skillet.
Once the butter has melted, tilt the pan, so that the butter pools at the bottom edge.
Using a spoon, baste the mushrooms, until butter becomes lightly browned and nutty smelly.
With a slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms to a small bowl, discarding the thyme and garlic.
In a large bowl, combine barley, cilantro, parsley, lemon juice, parmesan, and 2 tablespooons of the reserved shallot cooking oil. Toss to coat.
Season to taste with salt & pepper, then add mushrooms, tossing until combined.
Serve topped with fried shallots, and shaved parmesan.
Recipe by The Adventures of Bob & Shan at https://theadventuresofbobandshan.com/mushroom-barley-salad/