How to cook porridge from pearl barley. Recipes on milk and on water

This cereal belongs to the first cultivated man. In the diet of people, barley or whole grain of barley appeared more than 17 thousand years ago. They used it for food in ancient Egypt, and the ancient Romans considered it the best food for gladiators. The latter, by the way, were called "hordearii", which in translation means nothing more than "barley husbands."

In Russia, the culture of eating pearl barley was lost as early as the 13th century. The most valuable cereal grown in vast fields by the Finno-Ugric peoples was replaced by wheat and lentils. Although in narrow circles, mainly the nobility, barley groats continued to cook. It was pearl barley that was Peter I’s favorite porridge, and its name came from the English term “pearled barley” or “pearl” for the outward similarity of rounded, dense nucleoli with sea gem.

The subtleties of cooking

According to culinary theorist William Pokhlebkin, the question of how to cook pearl barley porridge is extremely simple. But it takes a lot of time, although most of the croup is prepared by itself, without any participation of the hostess. To make pearl barley tasty, several of its features should be considered.

• Always soak the grits. Without soaking it turns out to be dense, excessively stiff, does not boil. It is better to leave it in water all night - up to 12 hours, while pouring a glass of pearl barley with a liter of cold water.
• Use proportions based on the desired consistency. If loose porridge is needed, take 2.5 cups of water per cup of soaked cereal. Liquid is obtained by adding four glasses of water.
• Keep time. The classic recipe requires a long boil of the product, up to 6 hours. It seems that in modern conditions this is impossible, so the housewives found their answer to the question of how much to cook pearl barley. For pre-soaked kernels, 45 minutes of boiling are sufficient to bring to readiness.
• Leave porridge to "rest". After turning off the fire, you must put the closed pan in a warm place. You can wrap her with a blanket. The longer the dish keeps stirring, the more delicious it will turn out to be porridge from pearl barley. It will become ideal with the pearl color of the nuclei, which do not crunch on the teeth, but scatter in the mouth.
• Cook it on the stove or in the oven. Barley is one of the few cereals that cannot be cooked in the microwave. But in the oven it turns out perfect. On the stove it can be cooked over an open fire or, according to the classic recipe, in a water bath.
• Season cereal with butter. It is considered the best accompaniment for barley side dish, saturates it with a delicate, creamy taste.

Classic recipe

The cooking process using the classic technology described by William Pokhlebkin seems incredibly long. But perhaps it’s worth trying how to boil pearl barley porridge according to a recipe for which it was highly appreciated in the ancient world and respected by Peter I. We will call the dish porridge of the day and proceed.

You will need:

• pearl barley - 1 cup;
• cold water - 1 l;
• milk - 2 l;
• cream - 100 ml;
• oil - 50 g.

Cooking

1. Rinse the cereals, soak in a liter of cold water. Insist her until 12 o’clock.Drain the water.
2. Warm the milk to 40 °, pour the prepared cereal into it.
3. Bring to a boil, boil for 5 minutes with the lid open over high heat.
4. Draw water into a pan of a larger diameter, boil.
5. Close the pan with the cereal lid, put in a large pan with boiling water (in a water bath).
6. How much porridge is cooked? Stew with a closed lid for 6 hours. Pour water into a large pot periodically.
7. Season the cereal with cream, butter, mix evenly.

The classic recipe for pearl barley porridge in milk has one drawback. A lot of time is spent on cooking, although in fact, the practical participation of the hostess in the process is not enough. Six hours the croup languishes on its own, it is only necessary to control the volume of water in the water bath.

Modern recipes

But if the time is too limited, and for dinner it is planned to make porridge from barley, the recipe can be adapted to modern realities. We offer you techniques for preparing a friable garnish on the water, dishes with dressing from onions and mushrooms.

On the water

Cooking pearl barley porridge in water quickly and with decent results will be done if you soak it overnight. If you forgot to do this, try the following cooking technique. Boil the rinsed cereals for 3 minutes in boiling water, then drain the water. Then pour fresh, cold and cook over low heat for 1 hour. Remove the pan from the heat, wrap for 30 minutes.

The taste of cereals will not be fully revealed without soaking, but for a quick result, this method has the right to life. To get a more decent taste, use this recipe.

You will need:

• pearl barley - 1 glass;
• water for soaking - 1 l;
• water for boiling - 3 glasses;
• salt, butter.

Cooking

1. Soak the barley for 12 hours.
2. Rinse, fill with cold water, put on fire.
3. Let the water boil over high heat, reduce it, boil for 60 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, wrap a blanket under the cover, leave for 30 minutes.

Such a recipe for barley porridge will become a universal side dish for meat and vegetable dishes. To make the kernels boil as much as possible, let the croup stew as long as possible in the blanket.

With bacon and onions

Try cooking barley in the oven for this recipe. If you don't like lard as a dressing, use pre-fried slices of meat with onions. A dish is prepared in a pot, and you can serve it on the table in it.

You will need:

• pearl barley - 2 glasses;
• water for soaking - 2 l;
• cooking water - 1 l;
• onion - 1 large head;
• lard - 200 g;
• salt is a pinch.

Cooking

1. Peel and chop the onion, cut the lard into slices.
2. Put lard and onions in a pot.
3. Put the prepared barley on top.
4. Pour in boiling water, add salt.
5. Put the pot in the oven, heated to 180 °. Rinse for 1 hour.
6. Turn off the oven, do not open. Leave the pot in it for 30 minutes.
7. Remove from oven, wrap with blanket for 30 minutes.
8. Stir the contents of the pot before serving.

In time to remove the container from the oven, it is important that the croup is not dry. Reaching readiness in a blanket, it will retain juiciness, become soft and tender.

With mushrooms

The dish is lean, vegetarian. But this does not make it any less tasty! Barley goes well with mushrooms, onions. And cooking it is easy.

You will need:

• pearl barley - 1 glass;
• mushrooms (champignons) - 300 g;
• onions - 2 large heads;
• water - 400 ml;
• salt - a pinch;
• black pepper - 1/3 teaspoon;
• greenery.

Cooking

1. Peel, chop onion. Rinse the mushrooms, chop.
2. Sauté the onion, add the mushrooms, simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Put the prepared cereals in a pan to the onion-mushroom mass, pour the heated water. Add salt, pepper.
4. Stew under the lid for 60 minutes. Check readiness for soft cereals.
5. Season with greens.

Cooking should be on a very low fire, then the pearl barley will not "curl up." According to this recipe, you can cook other cereals, for example, buckwheat, rice.

Now you know how to cook porridge from pearl barley. We hope your new acquaintance with her will be successful. And a valuable cereal rich in nutrients will take its rightful place on your table.

Other porridge recipes