- 150g pearl barley
- 2 shallots
- 400g chestnut mushrooms
- 2 garlic cloves
- A handful of flat leaf parsley
- 2 smoked haddock fillets
- ½ vegetable stock cube
- 100g baby leaf spinach
- 500ml boiling water
- Sea salt
- 2 tsp + ½ tbsp olive oil
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1.
Heat your oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Peel and finely slice the shallots. Thickly slice the chestnut mushrooms. Peel and grate or crush the garlic cloves. Finely chop the parsley stalks, keeping the leaves aside for later.
- 2.
Pour 350ml boiling water into a small pan, pop on a high heat and bring back to the boil. When the water is boiling, add the barley with a pinch of salt. Cover, turn the heat down a little and simmer for 20-25 mins till the barley is tender.
- 3.
While the barley cooks, line a baking tray with foil. Rub 1 tsp olive oil onto the skin of each smoked haddock fillet and lay them on the tray, skin-side up. Season with a little salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 12-15 mins, till the fish is opaque and flakes easily when pressed with a fork.
- 4.
While the fish cooks, warm a deep frying pan over a high heat. Add the shallots and mushrooms with ½ tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Fry for 5-8 mins, stirring occasionally, till the shallots and mushrooms are golden.
- 5.
Stir in the garlic and parsley stalks. Cook and stir for 1 min. Crumble in half the stock cube and pour in 150ml boiling water. Pop on a lid and simmer for 5 mins till the mushrooms are tender. Stir in the spinach to wilt it. Take the pan off the heat.
- 6.
The pearl barley should be tender by now. Drain it well. Spoon the pearl barley onto 2 warm plates. Spoon over the veg and their sauce. Lay a smoked haddock fillet on top of each and garnish with some roughly chopped parsley leaves to serve.