Superfood - March-April 2017

SUPERFOOD 95

WHOLESOME GRAIN DISHES

BOOK DETAILS PHOTOGRAPHS: VICTORIA HELY-HUTCHINSON

Extracts from 26 Grains

• 100 recipes that use
  wholesome grains from
  energising breakfast
  porridges to delicious
  dinners by Alex Hely-
  Hutchinson, published
  by Square Peg in 2016,
  ISBN 9781910931035,
  £20 RRP

Sea Bass with Tomato,

Aubergine & Pearl Barley

When I spent a week in Italy a few summers

ago, the simplest of dishes were among the

most memorable. Most of the menus included

a tomato and aubergine dish, usually as a

parmigiana, which I could never resist. Here,

aubergine and tomatoes create their own

buttery, sweet and refreshing juice, which is

soaked up by the plump barley as it soaks. This

is a lovely combination with a fresh, white fi sh.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tbsp olive oil


• 1 garlic clove, crushed with a little sea salt


• pinch of sea salt and freshly ground
  black pepper


• 1 aubergine, cut into cubes


• 200g (7oz) cherry tomatoes


• 2 sea bass fi llets (about 160g/5¾oz each)


• 30g (1oz) pine nuts, toasted


• small handful of parsley leaves, fi nely
  chopped


• juice of ½ lemon, to serve

PEARL BARLEY

• 1 tbsp olive oil


• ½ onion, thinly sliced


• 75g (2¾oz) pearl barley, rinsed


• 375ml (generous 1½ cups) hot low-sodium
  vegetable stock

SERVES: 2

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C),
   350°F, Gas Mark 4.


2. Mix 2 tablespoons of the olive oil (use less
   olive oil if you wish to reduce the fat content),
   the crushed garlic and some seasoning
   together in a bowl. Add the aubergine and
   tomatoes and toss to make sure every bit is
   nicely coated. Spread out over a baking tray
   then place in the oven for 40–45 minutes, or
   until the aubergine is coloured and soft ened
   and the tomatoes have started to wrinkle.
   2. Meanwhile, prepare the pearl barley.
   Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium
   heat and gently fry the onion for about 8
   minutes until soft. Stir in the barley, then
   pour in the stock. Bring to the boil, then turn
   down to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes
   until tender and the stock has been absorbed.
   Season well.


3. Towards the end of the cooking time, season

the sea bass fi llets on both sides with a pinch of

salt. Warm the remaining tablespoon of olive oil

in a frying pan over a medium-high heat, then

add the fi sh, skin-side down and fry for 3–4

minutes until the skin is golden and the fi sh is

almost cooked. Turn and cook the other side

for 1–2 minutes, depending on the thickness of

the fi llet.

4. Once the barley and the roasted veg are
   ready, tip the aubergine and tomatoes into
   the barley, folding them in gently so as not to
   squash them too much.


5. Divide the barley between two plates. Sit the
   sea bass fi llets on top and sprinkle with the pine
   nuts and parsley. Add a good squeeze of lemon
   juice over the fi sh before serving.

PER SERVING SEA BASS 531kcals, 35.3g protein, 34.6g

fat, (3.8g saturates), 23g carbs, 10.1g fi bre, 13.7g sugar,

0.2g sodium PER SERVING PEARL BARLEY 222kcals, 4.2g

protein, 8.3g fat, (1.6g saturates), 33.3g carbs, 6.4g fi bre,

1.8g sugar, 0.3g sodium

SF9_P94-95 Grains SHSD.indd 95 30/01/2017 10:45