This recipe is a little bit of a strange duck. I had to read through the recipe more than three times to really understand how to make it and then I can’t locally get freekeh so I replaced it with barley. I imagine most very hearty, long cooking grains will probably be able to fill in like bulgur or brown rice even (with slightly adjusted cook times). This recipe is a flavor bomb so it’s really best served in small portions with something fresh and crisp on the side and maybe some bread sticks or grassini to round it out into a meal.
Charred Shallots Cooked in Barley
Whisk together all the sauce ingredients in a bowl until the miso is dissolved and set aside.
Heat a dutch oven over the stove on medium heat then add the shallots with the cut side down, turning the heat down to medium-low and letting the shallots cook for about 4-5 minutes until the start to smoke slightly. Then flip the shallots over and blacked / char on the other side as well.
Add the chilis and let cook for 90 seconds then pour in the entire amount of the stock, cover with a lid, and cook for 10 minutes, until the shallots begin to soften.
Remove the shallots from the pan and onto a plate making sure to preserve their shape, then to the pot add the barley and stir in making sure all the grains have been coated. Add the shallots back to the pot, evenly spaced out with the cut side down. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until the barley are cooked through and almost all the liquid is gone.
Make the tahini sauce by the combining tahini, lemon juice, oil, and just enough water for the consistency you'd like.
Drizzle tahini sauce over the dish and top with lots of fresh herbs.
Ingredients
Directions
Whisk together all the sauce ingredients in a bowl until the miso is dissolved and set aside.
Heat a dutch oven over the stove on medium heat then add the shallots with the cut side down, turning the heat down to medium-low and letting the shallots cook for about 4-5 minutes until the start to smoke slightly. Then flip the shallots over and blacked / char on the other side as well.
Add the chilis and let cook for 90 seconds then pour in the entire amount of the stock, cover with a lid, and cook for 10 minutes, until the shallots begin to soften.
Remove the shallots from the pan and onto a plate making sure to preserve their shape, then to the pot add the barley and stir in making sure all the grains have been coated. Add the shallots back to the pot, evenly spaced out with the cut side down. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until the barley are cooked through and almost all the liquid is gone.
Make the tahini sauce by the combining tahini, lemon juice, oil, and just enough water for the consistency you'd like.
Drizzle tahini sauce over the dish and top with lots of fresh herbs.