Cooking Barley Groats (pearl, broken)

Photo: Lnk.Si – CC BY 2.0 | cropped to square

BEFORE COOKING:

Rinse the barley groats several times in a colander under cold water.

COOKING:

Add the groats to boiling water using the following ratios: 1 cup of pearl or broken barley groats – 2.5 cups of water, 1 cup of pęczak – 3 cups of water. Stir until the water returns to a boil. Cook small pearl or broken groats for 15-20 minutes, medium and large pearl or broken groats for 20-30 minutes, and pęczak for 30-45 minutes. Do not stir the groats during cooking! Lightly salt the water (half a level teaspoon of salt should suffice) and add oil (1 tablespoon per 100 g of groats). Cook covered with the lid slightly ajar. The groats will be ready when the grains have absorbed all the water.

AFTER COOKING:

After cooking/steaming, drain any excess water and add butter. Let it rest for 30 minutes.

SERVING SUGGESTION:

Barley groats are perfect for soups, stews, stuffed cabbage, casseroles, mushroom sauces, and meat puddings.

Enjoy your meal!