Fill and boil your kettle. Tip the pearl barley into a small pan. Pour in enough boiling water to cover the barley by a few cms. Add a little salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 20-25 mins, till the barley is tender with a slight bite.

Meanwhile, peel and thinly slice the onion. Warm a frying pan (one that will snugly fit the pollack fillets) on a medium heat for 1 min then pour in 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the onion and fry for 4-5 mins, stirring often, till slightly softened.

While the onion cooks, peel and grate or crush the garlic. Pick the thyme leaves off their stems. When the onion has cooked for 4-5 mins, add the garlic and thyme and fry together for 1 min, stirring constantly.

Tip in the chopped tomatoes, add a pinch of salt and pepper and bring up to a bubble. Pop a lid on the pan and cook for 8 mins (if your pan doesn't have a lid, you can use a baking tray to cover it).

After 8 mins, stir in 1 tbsp Worcester sauce. Add the pollack fillets to the sauce and pop the lid back on the pan. Simmer for 6 mins, till the fish is cooked through. Check by pressing the thickest part of a fillet with the back of a fork. It should be opaque and flake easily.

Drain any remaining water off the pearl barley if needed, and divide it between 2 plates. Top with a pollack fillet each and spoon over the tomato sauce to serve.