Complete free recipe

Barley Porridge with Pear and Walnuts

Pearl barley cooked slowly in milk until it splits and goes creamy, with grated pear through it and walnuts on top. A whole grain rather than a refined one, and it keeps you going.

Barley Porridge with Pear and Walnuts. Pearl barley cooked slowly in milk until it splits and goes creamy, with grated pear through it and walnuts on top. A whole grain rather than a refined one, and it keeps you going.
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Prep 5 minCook 40 minServes 2

Ingredients

Why metric?

Metric avoids regional spoon ambiguity. US uses 5 mL tsp, 15 mL tbsp and 240 mL cup. Small masses stay in grams unless a verified recipe conversion exists. More on measurements

  • 120 g pearl barley (dry), rinsed
  • 450 ml reduced-fat milk (463 g)
  • 350 ml water (350 g)
  • 2 pears, coarsely grated, skins on (320 g)
  • 35 g walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 2 g ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 g iodised table salt

Method

  1. Put the barley, milk, water, cinnamon and salt in a heavy pan and bring to a bare simmer.
  2. Cook 35-40 minutes on the lowest heat, stirring every few minutes and scraping the base. Barley takes far longer than oats and sinks and catches if you leave it.
  3. It is ready when the grains have split along their furrow and the porridge falls thickly from the spoon.
  4. Grate one pear in off the heat, skin and all, and stir it through; it sweetens the pot without sugar.
  5. Spoon into bowls, top with the second pear and the walnuts.

Tomorrow

Keeps 3 days and stiffens; loosen with milk over low heat.

Safety and storage

Keeps
3 days refrigerated below 5°C
Reheat to
steaming hot, at least 60°C

Cool and cover within two hours of cooking; split large amounts into shallow containers so they chill quickly. Reheat until steaming hot, at least 60°C.

Where these temperatures come from