Chicken Barley
This dish doesn't have an easy term. Is it a stew? Is it a type of risotto? Is it a thick soup? Perhaps the term isn't important - what is critical to know is this is a dish of comfort that will banish the dark, cold days of winter.
Ingredients
- 10 oz leeks trimmed and sliced
- 10 oz carrots peeled and cut into chunky batons
- 10 oz parsnips peeled and cut into chunky baton
- 1 cup pearl barley
- 6 chicken thighs bone in, skin off
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 4 tsp English mustard (I used Dijon)
- 1 bunch Italian parsley (leaves from a small bunch chopped)
Instructions
- Put the prepared vegetables into a heavy-based casserole that comes with a lid. Add the barley and chicken thighs.
- Stir in the mustard into the stock, then pour this over the contents of the pan. Bring to the boil. Turn down the heat, partially cover and let simmer for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes or so and ensure it isn't boiling too hard or not enough - you want a slow, steady simmer. If it looks as if it's boiling dry, then pour in a little boiling water.
- Once the hour is up, the barley, vegetables and chicken should be tender and the juices all but absorbed. Remove from the heat and let stand with the lid off for 10 minutes.
- Add in some of the chopped parsley and stir it through the stew, use the rest as a garnish.
Notes
If you have leftovers the barley will continue to absorb the liquid. Add some more chicken broth before reheating.