Chicken, mushroom and pearl barley pan
Pearl barley slowly absorbs stock around chicken and mushrooms. Its gently chewy texture makes this a different one-pot meal from a rice dish.
An original Recipe From Fridge editorial recipe idea. Timings are estimates; check doneness as described, not by the clock alone.
Ingredients
- 500g raw boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3cm pieces
- 250g dry pearl barley, rinsed
- 300g mushrooms, sliced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 litre hot chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- Black pepper, to taste
Method
- Prepare the barley and chicken
Rinse barley under running water in a sieve. Wipe and slice mushrooms, dice the onion, then prepare chicken on a separate board. Keep the stock hot in a jug ready to pour.
- Soften and brown
Heat the oil in a wide lidded casserole. Soften the onion over medium heat for 5 minutes, add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, then add the chicken and turn for 5 minutes.
- Simmer the barley
Stir in the barley, thyme and stock. Bring to a simmer, cover loosely and cook gently for 35–40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Add hot water a little at a time if the pan becomes dry before the barley is tender.
- Check the centre
The barley should be tender with a little chew, not hard in the centre. Check the thickest chicken pieces reach 75°C for 30 seconds. If either needs longer, continue simmering and checking.
- Finish
Uncover and simmer off excess liquid for a few minutes if needed: aim for a moist spoonable pan, not soup. Add pepper and divide between four bowls.
Make it work with what you have
- Use pearl barley, not pot barley, which can take longer. Follow a longer packet time if specified.
- Stock strength varies; dilute as directed on its label rather than adding extra stock cubes.