Caramelised Onion and Pearl Barley Chicken-y bowl.

Have you ever had crunch corn? It’s such a tasty snack. I started getting it in the asian market years ago, it’s honestly, DIVINE. I love crunchy things. like, the crunch, it’s so satisfying. but anyway, I love it even more on a dish. like anything smooth topped with. a little salty crunch is just perfect, right? You can leave it out if you can’t get your hands on them but they’re easy enough to find nowadays, you’d even get them in the petrol station. the herbs on top are non negotiable, as per.

Have you had pearl barley before? I just love it. apart from roasted buckwheat (which is also another of my firm fave crunchy topper bits, pearl barley is my favourite grain, there, I said it. I don’t love rice if I’m honest, ok, hainanese chicken rice is the exception but it doesn’t tick that many boxes for me. these little pearly pieces though, I think they’re tasty. I used to add them to soups but they’re more than perfect for this one pan piece. they add a bite, but also softness to this dish, and are really delicious when the onions just wrap right around them. A dish needs to have different textures and shapes for me, pearl barley adds something the other bits just wouldn’t be able bring to this pearl barley party.

Serves: 4 

2 tbsp olive oil 

8 chicken thighs, boneless + skinless 

4 onions, thinly sliced

1 tbsp cider vinegar 

2 tbsp flour 

1 large carrot, peeled and diced 

1 leek, thinly sliced 

1 garlic clove, sliced 

100g pearl barley 

1 litre chicken stock

50g crunchy corn, crushed 

Small handful dill, roughly chopped

Small handful parsley, roughly chopped 

Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper. 

Heat a tablespoon of the oil in a large, wide, heavy based skillet/sauté pan (a sauté pan you say? Yes, a sauté pan has higher sides than your standard frying pan). Add the chicken thighs to this, sprinkle with salt and the white pepper. Let this cook until golden on both sides, 3-4 minutes each side will do, then set aside. Note; don’t turn your chicken until it’s ready, it’ll need the 3 minutes at least before it’s ready to turn, or it’ll stick and it’ll be a mess. Turn down the heat, add the rest of the oil and onions to the pan, they’ll soak up all those chicken juices and flavours. Cook for 10 minutes until softened. Halfway through add salt and the vinegar. 

Add the carrots and leek to this, oh, and the garlic. Don’t forget the garlic. Cook for 3 minutes and stir through the flour. 

Stir the barley through the veg with your favourite wooden spoon, it’s so important to use your favourite things every single day. Add the stock then to this, give it a quick stir, slide the chicken back in. You don’t need a lid. Simmer for 25 minutes until the barley is tender, it’ll have absorbed some of the liquid, but you want it to still be a bit brothy. 

Serve in bowls topped with the crunchy corn crumb and lots of herbs.