Make Ahead
Barley Corn Pilaf with Cilantro and Lime
- Serves 4-6
Author Notes
This is my own version of a recipe that appeared years ago in the Washington Post. My daughter Karly-rhymes-with-barley was fond of mushroom-barley soup and was a vegetarian at the time. I was intrigued by a possible way to get her to eat barley in the summertime. I do a lot of Mexican cooking, so I pumped up the corn-y and Latin flavors by making a corn-cob stock and adding cilantro and lime juice and zest. Served at room temperature, it's an irresistible summer side or buffet dish. —zora
What You'll Need
Ingredients
-
2
ears of fresh sweet corn
-
1
small onion, white or yellow
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1
bay leaf
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1 or 2
stems of fresh parsley
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3 1/2 cups
water
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1-2 tablespoons
olive oil
-
1 1/2 cups
pearled barley
-
1 teaspoon
salt
-
Handful
cilantro, chopped
-
1
green portion of scallion, chopped
-
1
lime, juice and zest
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a few
grindings of white pepper
Directions
- Cut corn kernels off the cob
- Break the stripped cobs in pieces and put them into a saucepan, cover with the water, add half of the onion, the bay leaf and parsley. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for twenty minutes. Remove the solids and measure the stock. You'll need slightly less than three cups to cook the barley.
- Finely mince the remaining half onion. Heat the olive oil in a sauce or saute pan and cook the onion until translucent, adding the salt. Add the barley and stir for a minute or two until the grains are coated with oil and smell toasty. Add 2 3/4 to 3 cups of corn cob stock, stir and cover. Turning the heat down to low.
- After about 15 minutes have elapsed, check the doneness of the barley. Most of the liquid should have been absorbed. If there is a lot of liquid and the kernels are still hard, cook for another 5 minutes. Add the corn kernels and cook for yet another five minutes. If the barley is tender and there is still a fair amount of liquid at the bottom of the pot, pour the solids into a strainer to drain off excess liquid.
- Allow the pilaf to cool to room temperature. Stir in the chopped cilantro and scallion, the zest and juice of a lime and the ground white pepper. Add salt if needed. Serve at room temperature.
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