Ancient Grains for Modern Meals - Maria Speck [74]
GRAIN-LENTIL MIXTURE
2 cups water
¼ cup hulled barley, soaked overnight and drained
¼ cup pearl barley
¼ cup green or black lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 large bay leaf
1 dried red chile
STEW, AND TO FINISH
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces prosciutto, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 medium leeks, white and light green parts, sliced ¼ inch thick (about 3 cups)
½ pound cremini mushrooms, halved if large, and sliced ¼ inch thick (3 cups)
½ bunch chard or spinach, leaves chopped (about 2 cups) and stems sliced ¼ inch thick
2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dried crumbled oregano
½ cup chopped fresh dill
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 corner Parmesan cheese rind (optional)
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, plus extra for seasoning
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup sour cream or plain whole-milk Greek yogurt, beaten until smooth
1 To parboil the grain-lentil mixture, bring the water, both kinds of barley, lentils, bay leaf, and chile to a boil in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, start the stew. Line a small plate with paper towels. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the prosciutto and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned and crisp, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer ¼ cup of the prosciutto to the paper-lined plate and set aside.
3 Add the leeks, mushrooms, chard stems, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables soften and mushrooms release much of their liquid, about 3 minutes. Add the dried herbs and cook for 1 minute, then stir in ¼ cup of the dill. Add the broth, water, Parmesan rind, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, and the pepper.
4 Transfer the parboiled grains and lentils, including any remaining cooking liquid, to the vegetables and bring everything to a boil. Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook until the barley is tender but still slightly chewy, about 20 minutes.
5 To finish the stew, remove the Parmesan rind, bay leaf, and chile, and season with the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Taste and adjust for pepper (I like to spice it up a bit), salt, or soy sauce (don’t add both, as soy sauce is very salty). Stir in the chard leaves, drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and remove the saucepan from the heat. Let sit, covered, for 3 to 5 minutes to allow the leaves to soften.
6 Ladle the stew into bowls. Garnish each serving with a dollop of sour cream, a bit of the reserved crisped prosciutto, and some of the remaining ¼ cup dill. Serve right away.
TO GET A HEAD START: Barley and lentils, as in step 1, can be parboiled 3 days ahead. Do not drain. Cover and chill. The stew, up through step 5, can be prepared 1 day ahead. Chill, covered.
TO MAKE IT VEGETARIAN: Simply omit the prosciutto.
SAVORY STEMS
Many recipes call for only the leaves of chard, spinach, or kale and discard a sweet and delicious part of the vegetable, the stems. I always chop them finely and add them right at the start, together with the onions for example, for a richer base in stews, stir-fries, or frittatas.
Fire-Roasted Tomato Stew with Eggplant and Farro
A trio of tomatoes—oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, and fire-roasted tomatoes—coupled with a hearty beef broth gives this stew an opulent intensity. Soft, pliable eggplant, plump, sweet raisins, and a hint of cinnamon are combined with nutty, sweet farro, alluring even in the dead of winter when tomatoes come from a can (see more on varieties of farro). A few parsnips, once forgotten in my vegetable drawer during a bone-chilling February, are a surprisingly delicious