Barley Bake With Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 200 red onions (finely chopped)
• 15 g dried mushrooms (porcini and oyster)
• 100 g chestnut mushrooms (sliced)
• 250 g carrots (diced)
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 150 g barley
• 100 g leeks (sliced)
• 1 12 liters vegetable stock (hot)
• 12 teaspoon white pepper
• 28 g sage (roughly chopped)
• 4 sprigs lemon thyme
• 175 ml ruby port

Instructions

1. method one:.
2. preheat oven to gas mark 6, reconstitute the dried mushrooms in a little hot water for 10 minutes.
3. place all ingredients into a large casserole dish with tight fitting lid mix well, place in oven and cook for about 1- 1hr 30 hour until barley and carrots are cooked.
4. Check on it every so often in case it needs a little more water.
5. Under the same principle this can be cooked in a slow cooker, reduce the hot stock by 1/4 pint.
6. method 2:.
7. preheat oven to gas mark 6, reconstitute the dried mushrooms in a little hot water for 10 minutes.
8. heat oil in heavy based oven hob to oven casserole dish fry onions for 5 min on medium heat , add garlic and barley stir well, add port deglaze pan.
9. add all other ingredients, inclduidng dried musrooms and their soaking water.
10. place in oven for approximately 1 hour, checking occasionally that there is enough water) at this point add pheasant on rack in casserole dish (if cooking with pheasant) barley mix will take approximately 1- 1 1/2 hour to cook.
11. serve on own as a risotto maybe with some parmesan or with roast meat or sausages.