One of the best lunches I have made for myself since I embarked on the journey of homemade lunches is this fantastic barley salad. It’s full of flavor, with lots of chopped fresh parsley and cilantro. It’s substantial and almost meaty, filled with browned mushrooms that have been basted in butter. And it’s a little bit indulgent, topped with pan-fried shallots for some crunch. It’s the kind of salad you want to pick things out of as you assemble.
The best dishes have contrast. This one has great textures – the barley is chewy, the mushrooms are tender but have form, the shallots are crunchy. It’s also got great contrasting flavors. The grains and mushrooms are earthy, but the cilantro and lemon provide a much needed splash of brightness. For me, this was a one-dish meal at lunchtime, but it would also make a great side for meat (my mom made this at a dinner party when she had a vegetarian in attendance).
After a successful trial run in my lunchbox, I made this again for my family while we were in Florida visiting my grandma and aunt last December. We had some constraints – no pearl barley at the grocery store, so we used farro instead, and no maitake or oyster mushrooms, so we used shiitake instead. We had a separate, alternate serving containing no cilantro or mushrooms for a more discerning eater. My dad was skeptical when I suggested it, but it was a hit despite the modifications we had to make. It also ended up being on the table for one of the very last dinners I ate with my grandmother, who passed away earlier this month.
I doubt my grandma really even ate this salad – to say that she hadn’t been much of an eater for some time before that meal would be an understatement. But I knew at the time that there was a good chance that those couple of dinners would probably be our last sitting all together. So the memory of eating a perfect roast chicken and this barley salad with my grandma in her usual seat with her tiny glass of wine is a really special one. Being together over a meal makes the best memories, and eating a dish later on, at least for me, is often the best recall for special moments passed.
Ingredients
- 1 cup hulled, hull-less or pearl barley (you can also substitute farro, but I liked barley better)
- Kosher salt
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced into rings
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 oz. mushrooms (such as maitake, chanterelle and/or oyster), torn or cut into large pieces
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 cup chopped freshly parsley
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 oz. Parmesan, shaved, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Cook barley in a medium pot of boiling salted water until tender, 50–60 minutes for hulled or hull-less, 20–30 minutes for pearl. Drain; spread out on a baking sheet and let cool.
- Meanwhile, cook shallots in vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, swirling pan occasionally to keep shallots from burning, until golden brown, 5–7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shallots to paper towels to drain; season with salt. Let cool. Set shallot cooking oil aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high until just beginning to smoke. Arrange mushrooms in skillet in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, until undersides are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper, toss, and continue to cook, tossing often and reducing heat as needed to avoid scorching, until golden brown all over, about 5 minutes longer.
- Reduce heat to medium and add thyme sprigs, garlic, and butter to skillet. Tip skillet toward you so butter pools at edge and use a spoon to baste mushrooms with foaming butter; cook until butter smells nutty. Using a slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms to a small bowl, leaving thyme and garlic behind.
- Toss cooled barley, cilantro, parsley, lemon juice, 1½ oz. Parmesan, and 2 Tbsp. reserved shallot oil in a large bowl to combine; season with salt and pepper. Add mushrooms; toss again to combine.
- Just before serving, top with fried shallots and more shaved Parmesan.
Notes
https://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2016/03/21/herby-barley-salad-with-butter-basted-mushrooms/
March 22, 2016 at 1:35 pm
Proud to be a discerner! And I continue to cook and eat the rest of the bag of farro as a hearty, yummy side dish 🙂