Pearl Barley with Roasted Peppers, Olives, and Lemon

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the barley and vegetables

   Rinse the barley in a sieve under cold water. Preheat the oven to 220 °C. Halve the peppers, remove the cores, and cut each half into two or three pieces. Finely chop the shallot and slice the olives into rings.

   
2. 2

   Cook the barley

   Put the barley in a pot with 800 ml water, 3 g salt, and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 30 to 35 minutes, until tender but still firm to the bite. If any water remains, drain it and remove the bay leaf.

   
3. 3

   Roast the peppers

   Arrange the pepper pieces on a baking sheet, cut side down, drizzle with 10 ml olive oil, and roast for 20 to 25 minutes at 220 °C. The skin should darken in places and the flesh should soften, but not fall apart. Let cool for a few minutes, then cut into bite-sized pieces.

   
4. 4

   Mix the lemon dressing

   Zest the lemon and squeeze out the juice. In a bowl, mix the lemon zest and 20 ml juice with the remaining 15 ml olive oil, 1 g salt, and ground black pepper.

   
5. 5

   Finish the side dish

   Toss the cooked barley with the dressing, roasted peppers, shallot, olives, and parsley. Taste: the mixture should be refreshingly tart and appropriately salty; if it is too thick, add the remaining lemon juice. Serve warm or at room temperature.