Barley, Bacon and Sausages

Barley is a much under-rated grain and rarely used, except as a thickener for casseroles. This is a great pity as it has a satisfying texture and makes a great alternative to rice. Here, its slightly nutty taste works brilliantly with bacon and sausages.

Serves 1

5 ml/1 tsp sun-dried tomato purée (paste)
250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup very hot (not boiling) vegetable stock
3 spring onions (scallions), trimmed and sliced
1 celery stick, thinly sliced
1 rasher (slice) of smoked back bacon
75 g/3 oz/scant ½ cup pearl barley
6 cooked mini sausages
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
75 g/3 oz/3 tbsp frozen peas

1. Put the tomato purée in the ceramic cooking pot and pour in a spoonful or two of the stock. Stir until blended, add the spring onions and celery, then pour in the rest of the stock. Switch on the slow cooker to Low and leave for a few minutes while measuring and preparing the rest of the ingredients.
2. Remove the rind and fat from the bacon, then snip the bacon into small pieces with kitchen scissors. Add the barley, bacon and sausages to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 1½-1¾ hours or until the barley is tender.
3. While the barley is cooking, spread out the peas on a piece of kitchen paper (paper towel) on a plate to allow them to defrost. Stir them into the pilaf, then cover and cook for a final 10 minutes to heat through the peas. Spoon the pilaf on to a warm plate and serve straight away.

Cook's tips
Other frozen vegetables such as sweetcorn or mixed vegetables may be used instead of the peas.
Pearl barley is husked and steamed and has a mild, sweet flavour and chewy texture. It is more easily available than pot barley, which is the whole grain with just the inedible outer husk removed. Either can be used in this recipe, but if using pot barley allow extra cooking time and a little more stock.

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