Braised Chicken with Barley #recipe by @LeslieKarst

I’ve long been a fan of barley for it’s toothsomeness and earthy flavor. But I rarely eat it, except when I open a can of bean with barley soup every so often for lunch. So a few weeks ago when I happened to spy a bag of barley while picking up some rice at the grocery store, I snagged it, too.

But what to make with it? It was a foggy day here in Santa Cruz, so I decided to go for something hearty: braised chicken with barley, it was. I made up the recipe as I went along, but it turned out quite tasty, indeed. 

 

(For those of you who care, “pearled” barley is barley grain that has had its fibrous outer hull polished off, which allows it to cook more quickly that the whole barley “groat.”)

Braised Chicken with Barley

(serves 4)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 chicken thighs

S&P

herbes de Provence

2 carrots, coarsely chopped

2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 onion, coarsely chopped

1 cup pearled barley

3 cups chicken (or other) stock

 

Directions

Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with herbes de Provence.

 

In a large, heavy skillet (cast iron works great for this), heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering, then add the chicken, skin down. Fry until nicely browned, then flip over.

 

Add the carrots and celery and stir, so that they’re covered in the oil/chicken fat in the pan. Cook for a minute or two, then add the garlic and stir it in.

 

Add the onions and stir them in. Cook for another couple minutes to allow the vegetables to start to brown.

 

Add the barley to the pan, and then the stock. 

 

Stir again, bringing the chicken thighs to the top of the pan. Simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, checking half-way through to make sure the liquid hasn’t boiled away and the barley isn’t sticking to the pan.

 

After 30 minutes, taste the barley to see if it’s is done. You want it to be fully cooked, but still toothsome. Add more water if it’s not done, and continue simmering, covered, another 5-15 minutes, however long it takes.

 

Serve the chicken and barley with a green vegetable. I made sautéed kale, for my meal.

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