Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's barley and spelt recipes

You may well have heard me raving about the wonders of spelt, and of gorgeous, nutty little grains of pearled spelt in particular. And, yes, I'm about to do so again, because this delicious ingredient figures large in my diet at this chilly, blustery and sometimes grey time of year.

But I also want to pay tribute here to what I still think of as the "original" pearled grain: barley, the cereal to which spelt owes a debt of thanks. Pearled spelt would hardly be enjoying its current voguish, though highly deserved, renaissance if barley hadn't already taught us what joys could be achieved with an unprepossessing-looking handful of squat, brown kernels. Then again, symbiotically enough, the resurgence of pearled spelt has thrown an approving spotlight on good old barley, which has been there all along but hasn't always had a fabulous image. There needn't be any competition, as far as I'm concerned – these robust grains, both of which have been cultivated in different parts of the world for millennia, are both great.

Although I probably use pearled spelt more than pearl barley – not least because there's some very good organic stuff grown near me at Sharpham Park in Somerset – I often talk about the two interchangeably, since you can use them in pretty much the same ways. The only real difference is that spelt is quicker to cook, needing about 20-25 minutes simmering to barley's 30 or 40 (although sometimes you'll come across a batch of barley that requires a bit longer). The difference in eating is subtle but clear (clear enough for spelt to get the popular vote in my family, though personally I have plenty of time for both): spelt is perhaps a fraction sweeter and wheatier, barley a touch more earthy; barley can be a mite sticky, and spelt has a cleaner, nuttier bite.

The wonderful, silky, nubbly texture and satisfying, grainy taste of both make them indispensable in my larder. If you haven't tried cooking with them, I strongly recommend that you do. Both are truly versatile: you can use them as you would rice (to make a risotto-style dish), pasta (turned through a sauce) or pulses (tossed into a salad); they can thicken a soup or a stew; and you can even use them to make a rice pudding-like sweet dish, though they have a curious tendency to split the milk.

These are pretty thrifty buys, too – a 500g bag of pearl barley can cost as little as 50p and will form the basis of several meals. Spelt, I'll grant you, is a bit more pricey, but still a little goes a long way. Both grains cook up to be substantial and belly-filling without being heavy, you can keep a bag or two in the cupboard for months and – a point that's often overlooked – they are incredibly easy to cook; crucially, easier than rice (the cooking of which is an art form I can't say I've fully mastered) and even pasta. There's more margin for error, far less need to be precise about quantities of water and exact timings. Five minutes here or there is not going to render your grain inedibly over-cooked. In fact, one of the joys of barley and spelt is that while they may need only 20 or 30 minutes' cooking, you can simmer them for a long time without them disintegrating or becoming mushy. They just get more tender, absorb more flavour and can swell to something like four times their uncooked size.

While pearled barley and spelt are "whole" in the sense of not being rolled, broken or ground down, they are not "wholegrains" but refined: the "pearling" that gives them their name is the process of polishing off the outer bran layer. You can keep this bran jacket on – "Scotch" and "pot" barleys are the unpolished versions – but the grain then takes a very long time to cook. Pearling may strip the cereal of some of its micronutrients and fibre, but this doesn't worry me too much, because the resulting, smooth-skinned, tender grain is just begging to be partnered with the heartiest and healthiest things you can find in your garden, fridge or store cupboard. I always chuck handfuls of good things in the pot alongside the grains – onions, garlic, carrots, greens (usually kale, broccoli or spinach), lentils or beans – while virgin olive or rapeseed oil makes the perfect dressing or finishing touch. Meat, offal or oily fish, meanwhile, can all sit happily alongside.

Winter veg and barley broth (V)

A staple of my cooking at this time of year, I never make this lovely meal-in-a-bowl the same way twice. It's a repository for whichever stock, grains, greens and roots I have to hand. A tin of chickpeas or white beans, or a handful of puy lentils, sometimes gets in there, too. Serves four.

1.5 litres vegetable stock
100g pearled spelt or pearl barley, rinsed
About 300g mixed root veg such as swede, celeriac and potato, all finely diced
About a dozen leaves of kale, spring greens or sprout tops, ribs removed, shredded
Extra-virgin olive or rapeseed oil, to finish
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the stock in a pan and bring to a boil. Add the spelt or barley, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes for spelt, 20-30 minutes for barley. Add the root veg, simmer for 10 minutes or so, until both grain and vegetables are tender, then add the greens and cook for a couple of minutes longer, until tender. Season to taste, ladle into bowls and finish with a generous trickle of oil.

Scotch broth salad

A hearty winter salad. Leftover cooked beef or chicken would work well, too. Serves three to four.

150g pearled spelt or pearl barley, rinsed
100g savoy cabbage or other greens, coarse stems removed, cut into 1cm ribbons
1 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
1 red onion, peeled and chopped
About 250g cooked lamb, shredded
1 large handful flat-leaf parsley, picked and roughly chopped

For the dressing
3 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
2 tbsp cider or white-wine vinegar
1 tsp soft light brown sugar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the spelt or barley in a large pan, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer gently until tender – around 20 minutes for spelt, longer for barley. Drain in a colander and set aside.

Blanch the cabbage in lightly salted boiling water for two minutes. Drain, refresh under cold running water, and dry in a salad spinner.

Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing and set aside.

Heat the oil in a small frying pan, add the onion and cook gently for 10 minutes, until softened. Increase the heat slightly, add the shredded lamb and cook for a few minutes until lightly browned. Add half the dressing and cook until warmed through.

Tip the spelt into a large bowl, add the cabbage and parsley, then tip in the lamb mix and stir to coat. Check the seasoning, and serve each plate with a trickle of extra dressing over the top.

Leek and broccoli speltotto

I believe I can lay claim to coining the term "speltotto" to refer to a risotto-style dish made with pearled spelt, but I can't say the original idea was mine: the Italians have been making orzotti, or barley "risottos", for years. This delicious example makes use of seasonal purple-sprouting broccoli, though a little shredded kale makes an equally good addition. You can also, if you're feeling carnivorous, stir in some diced, fried bacon or chorizo at the end instead of the cheese. Serves four.

1 litre vegetable (or chicken) stock
50g butter
2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil, plus a final trickle
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp chopped thyme
300g pearled spelt or pearl barley, rinsed
125ml dry white wine
2-3 medium leeks, trimmed, washed and sliced 2cm thick on the bias
About 150g purple-sprouting broccoli, tough stems removed, roughly chopped
50g hard, mature goat's cheese (or parmesan), grated, plus extra for shaving
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the stock in a saucepan, bring to a simmer, then turn down and keep over a very low heat.

Heat about half the butter and a tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and thyme, and sweat gently for about 10 minutes, until soft. Stir in the spelt or barley, cook gently for a minute or two, then add the wine and let it bubble until the liquid is absorbed by the grains.

Now start adding the stock, about a quarter at a time (much as you would when cooking a risotto), stirring often and letting each lot be absorbed before you add the next. It should take about 25 minutes for the spelt to cook to a tender texture with a hint of bite still in the grains. Barley will take longer – probably about 40 minutes. If you run out of stock, add a splash of boiling water.

While the spelt or barley is cooking, sweat the leeks in the remaining oil and butter in a small frying pan, over a medium heat, tossing and stirring occasionally, until just tender but still with a bit of bite. Lightly steam the broccoli (or cook in a little water) for three to four minutes, until just tender.

Take the finished speltotto off the heat and stir through the leeks, broccoli and grated cheese, and season to taste. Serve, topped with a few shavings of cheese and a final trickle of oil.

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