Green hulled barley ‘kaszotto’ with mrągowska buttermilk

Prepared by the head chef of Comfort Food Studio, Julian Karewicz, who is a devoted cooking enthusiast. For many years he was a head of Solec 44 bar and a head grill master for Weber Grills. At present, he runs “barkuchnia” blog on kukbuk.com.pl being fascinated by local products and genuine cuisine, where taste and smell reign. The co-author of the cookbook titled “Recipes and Tales” (Przepisy i opowieści).

2 cups hulled barley
5 l vegetable stock
4 spring onions, diced
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 handful chopped chives
1 handful chopped dill
1 handful chopped parsley
1 bunch sorrel
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
1 tablespoon sugar
Green beans, trimmed
Clarified Łaciate butter
1 cup Mrągowska natural buttermilk
Salt and pepper

Glaze the finely diced onion in a frying pan with a teaspoon of Łaciate extra butter, and at the end add the garlic.
Add the hulled barley and stew it with the onion and garlic.
Pour in the vegetable stock until the barley is soft. Add more stock, a spoon by a spoon, stirring all the time.
Place the asparagus and green beans in salted water with a tablespoon of sugar (sugar preserves the colour of vegetables). Do not overcook them, keep in boiling water no longer that 4 minutes. Once drained, cut the vegetables into 2-centimetres chunks.
When the hulled barley is soft, add the green beans, asparagus and sorrel leaves. Pour in Mrągowska natural buttermilk. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Your dish shouldn’t be too dry or watery. Make sure that the grains of hulled barley are completely covered in the emulsion of buttermilk and vegetable stock.