I’m excited to share this recipe with you which I made for Waterford Distillery’s head distiller Ned on a barley farm in Ireland. Scroll to the bottom to see the full recipe video and Episode Two of the Unearthed Series.
This collaboration has become a bit of a passion project for me because Waterford care deeply about the provenance and quality of their ingredients. They are investigating the unique flavours that occur with a sense of place by making whisky with single origin barley. I’ve learnt about the whole whisky making process from grain-to-glass with their amiable and inspiring head distiller Ned. I wanted to return the favour and cook for him and the team, so made this dish using the Jackson’s Lacka organic farm lamb. It paired beautifully with Waterford’s organic whiskey Gaia, cutting through the fat and complimenting the barley grain. There’s nothing quite like cooking on a farm where the ingredients came from.
For the barleyotto
leg of lamb steaks and salmoriglio
To make the leg of lamb steaks and salmoriglio
Light a barbecue and allow the coals to turn white. Meanwhile season the leg of lamb steaks with plenty of sea salt. Cook the steaks, leaving them for four or five minutes each side or until they brown and form a crust. Then Turn and cook for a similar length of time on the other side before resting for another five minutes. To make the sauce, finely chop the oregano and garlic and smash in a pestle and mortar with some sea salt. Add the juice and zest from an organic lemon and thin with some extra virgin olive oil.
To make the barleyotto
Heat a large heavy based saucepan over a medium heat with two tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the onion and cook for five minutes then add the garlic, rosemary and 200g of the shredded chicory and cook whilst stirring for three minutes or until wilted down. Save 50g of the red chicory tops to serve. Next add the barley grain and cook for a few minutes whilst stirring.
Add the red wine, turn the heat up and bring to the boil, whilst stirring. Once the red wine has been absorbed into the barley, add the stock and bring back to a simmer. Cook for 20-25 minutes, whilst stirring occasionally. Once the barley is al dente, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir in half the grated walnuts. Using a stick blender, pulse blend a little in one spot in the pan to create a creamy texture, whilst leaving the majority of the grains whole. This will give the barleyotto a nice creamy texture. Stir in the chard leaves and allow to rest for a few minutes before serving.
Serve topped with the remaining radicchio and grated walnut and optionally sliced radishes, root vegetable crisps.
By TOM HUNT
Tom's manifesto, 'Root to Fruit' demonstrates how we can all become part of the solution, supporting a delicious, biodiverse and regenerative food system, giving us the skills and knowledge to shop, eat and cook sustainably, whilst eating healthier, better-tasting food for no extra cost.
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