Barley Bake with Chanterelles and Cheese Recipe
Barley bake with chanterelles is a nod to Polish forests and autumn mushroom picking. It’s a bit like risotto baked in the oven, but instead of rice you have homely barley, which becomes soft and slightly creamy after baking. It’s a great dish for cooler days, when you crave something that smells of forest and butter.
This barley and chanterelle bake combines the flavour of Polish forests with the simple comfort of a grain‑based dish – instead of rice there’s barley, which turns creamy in the oven yet keeps a pleasant bite. Butter, cream and cheese enhance the taste of the chanterelles, creating something between risotto and an oven bake, but in a very rustic style. It’s a dish that smells like an autumn walk in the woods and warms you up better than many soups.
Chef's tips
Clean chanterelles thoroughly, but try not to soak them in water for too long – they absorb it like a sponge and instead of frying they will stew in their own juices. Make sure most of the liquid from the mushrooms evaporates before adding them to the barley, otherwise the bake may turn out too runny. It’s worth tasting the barley after the first baking under foil – if it’s still firm, give it another 5–10 minutes before sprinkling the top with cheese.
How to serve
Serve it with a simple salad of pickled cucumbers and red onion or with warm beetroot – the acidity nicely cuts through the creamy barley. Dry white wine, cider or simply a mug of hot tea with lemon are great to drink with it, especially after coming back from an autumn walk. It’s an ideal Sunday lunch after mushroom picking, when you return with a basket of chanterelles and want to use them in one substantial, satisfying meal.
Ingredients
- barley groats pearled barley or hulled barley - 250 g
- chanterelles fresh - 300 g
- onion medium - 1 piece
- garlic - 2 cloves
- vegetable stock hot - 600 ml
- 30% cream - 100 ml
- yellow cheese grated, e.g. gouda - 120 g
- butter for frying the chanterelles - 25 g
- rapeseed oil for frying the onion - 1 tablespoon
- parsley chopped - 2 tablespoons
- salt for the barley and chanterelles - 1.25 teaspoons
- black pepper freshly ground - 0.5 teaspoons
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (top and bottom heat). Prepare an ovenproof dish with a capacity of about 2 litres.
- Rinse the barley in a sieve under running water. Transfer to a pot, cover with boiling water (just enough to cover), bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Drain – the barley will be partially cooked and will finish more quickly in the oven.
- Clean the chanterelles thoroughly of sand and needles, preferably by wiping them with a damp paper towel or quickly rinsing them in a sieve and drying very well. Cut larger mushrooms in half or into quarters.
- Peel the onion and dice it finely. Peel and chop the garlic.
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 3–4 minutes, until it softens and becomes slightly translucent.
- Add the butter and chanterelles. Fry for 7–10 minutes over medium heat, until the mushrooms release their liquid and most of it evaporates. Stir from time to time.
- Add the garlic and fry for 1 more minute, until it becomes very fragrant. Season the chanterelles with 0.5 teaspoon of salt and pepper, mix and remove the pan from the heat.
- In a large bowl, mix the partially cooked barley with the chanterelles and onion. Add the hot stock, cream, 0.75 teaspoon of salt and half of the grated cheese. Mix thoroughly.
- Pour everything into the ovenproof dish and smooth the top. Cover the dish with aluminium foil.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes covered.
- After 20 minutes, remove the foil, sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese and bake for another 10–15 minutes, until the cheese melts and is lightly golden and the barley is soft when tasted.
- After removing from the oven, leave the bake to rest for 5–10 minutes, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve warm.
Storage
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in the oven or in a pan with a splash of water or cream; avoid overmixing, as the barley becomes softer after standing.
