Frivole, mushroom and barley stew, Cais na Tire cheese

Frivole, mushroom and barley stew with Cáis na Tire cheese. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times
Frivole, mushroom and barley stew with Cáis na Tire cheese. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times
Serves: 4
Course: Main Course
Cooking Time: 0 hr 45 mins

Ingredients

  • 100g barley, soaked for two hours in 400ml warm water
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 2 flatcap mushrooms, halved and sliced
  • 1 stick of cinnamon
  • A little grated nutmeg
  • 2 bay leaves, fresh if possible
  • 250ml strong vegetable stock (1 cube)
  • 250ml milk
  • 20 frivole
  • 100g butter
  • 1 tbsp malt vinegar
  • 80g Cáis na Tire cheese, plus a little more to shave on top.
  • Salt and black pepper

1 Put the rapeseed oil into a pan and add the mushrooms, cinnamon, nutmeg and bay leaves.

2 Cook over a medium heat for five minutes, until the mushrooms start to soften.

3 Drain the barley then add it to the mushrooms, followed by the vegetable stock and milk, then bring to a simmer and cook gently for 20 minutes until it is soft and yielding.

4 Meanwhile cook the frivole in boiling, salted water for two minutes, drain and refresh under cold water and pat dry on a clean tea towel.

5 Put the butter in a separate small pan and begin to cook over a low to medium heat for three minutes or so.

6 When it starts to fizz and foam it is starting to turn into brown butter.

7 Give it 30 more seconds, remove from the heat and allow it to cool a little before adding the vinegar. This can be made ahead of time.

8 To finish the barley stew, add the grated cheese and season with salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaves.

9 Put the frivole into the brown butter, season and warm over a low heat.

10 Serve the barley stew on warm plates with the buttery frivole on top, plus a drizzle of the excess brown butter and some extra shavings of Cáis na Tire.

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn is a chef, restaurateur and contributor to The Irish Times. He and his wife, Máire, run the Tannery restaurant and cookery school in Dungarvan, Co Waterford