Ploughman's Barley Porridge
A savoury porridge of cracked barley, long-simmered until creamy, flavoured with onion, wild herbs and a drizzle of olive oil. Comforting and earthy, the true fare of the field labourer.
A savoury porridge of cracked barley, long-simmered until creamy, flavoured with onion, wild herbs and a drizzle of olive oil. Comforting and earthy, the true fare of the field labourer.
The labourer's belly is not filled with fine words, but with barley. I would crush the grain between two stones, throw it into boiling water with a split onion and herbs I cut at the edge of the furrow, and stir until the spoon stood upright. A finger of oil on top, and you had enough to toil from sunrise to sunset. It's coarse, I grant you — but it is this porridge that built the first fields.
- •Hulled cracked barley — two handfuls (staple cereal)
- •Water — three times the volume of grain (cooking liquid)
- •Onion — one small (aromatic)
- •Wild herbs (coriander, wild cumin) — a pinch (flavouring)
- •Olive oil — a drizzle (fat binder)
- •Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Ploughman's Barley Porridge
A savoury porridge of cracked barley, long-simmered until creamy, flavoured with onion, wild herbs and a drizzle of olive oil. Comforting and earthy, the true fare of the field labourer.
Why this dish? Cain 'worked the ground'. Thick barley porridge was the daily bread of the one who tills the earth: nourishing, simple, made from the grain harvested at his feet, seasoned with a little oil and herbs that grow at the edge of the field.
The labourer's belly is not filled with fine words, but with barley. I would crush the grain between two stones, throw it into boiling water with a split onion and herbs I cut at the edge of the furrow, and stir until the spoon stood upright. A finger of oil on top, and you had enough to toil from sunrise to sunset. It's coarse, I grant you — but it is this porridge that built the first fields.
Ingredients (period version)
- Hulled cracked barley — two handfuls (staple cereal)
- Water — three times the volume of grain (cooking liquid)
- Onion — one small (aromatic)
- Wild herbs (coriander, wild cumin) — a pinch (flavouring)
- Olive oil — a drizzle (fat binder)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Pearl barley — 150 g (staple cereal)
- Water or vegetable broth — 600 ml (cooking liquid)
- Onion — 1 small, finely chopped (aromatic)
- Cumin seeds — 1/2 tsp (flavouring)
- Fresh coriander, chopped — 2 tbsp (flavouring)
- Olive oil — 2 tbsp (fat binder)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Sauté the chopped onion in a spoonful of olive oil until softened.
- Add the barley and cumin seeds, stir for a minute to coat.
- Pour in the water or broth, add salt, bring to a boil then lower the heat.
- Simmer covered for 40 to 50 minutes, stirring regularly, until the barley bursts and the porridge becomes creamy; add a little water if it sticks.
- Off the heat, stir in the coriander, adjust salt and drizzle with the remaining olive oil before serving hot.
How it was made : Before the spread of leavened bread, cereal porridges (especially barley, hardier than wheat) were the staple food of agricultural populations in the Near East. The grain was crushed on a hand quern and cooked for a long time in earthenware pots set on embers. Olive oil, onion and local herbs provided the main seasoning.
The contemporary twist : Dressed as a barley risotto, topped with a poached egg and fresh herbs, this ancient porridge becomes a thoroughly contemporary comforting bowl.
Cain · Charactorium