Ingredients
1 cup (125 mL) dried morel mushrooms, divided¼ cup (60 mL) butter
1 large onion, finely chopped (2 cups (480 mL))
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp (5 mL) juniper berries
1 Tbsp (15 mL) spruce tips
1 cup (250 mL) hulled barley
4½ cups (1.1 L) moose, bison or chicken stock
½ cup (125 mL) mushroom soaking liquid
Preparation
- Several hours before starting to cook, soak the barley: rinse, place it in a bowl and add water to cover.
- Take half the dried morels and grind them into a powder using a mortar and pestle or a food processor. Soak the remaining morels in half a cup of boiling water.
- Melt butter over medium heat in a large frying pan or a wide, shallow pot with a lid. Once the butter has stopped bubbling add the onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 7 minutes.
- Turn the heat to medium low and stir in the garlic and mushroom powder
- Grind juniper berries and spruce tips into powder and add to the pot.
- Squeeze liquid from soaked morels, reserving liquid, chop morels roughly and sauté in the onion mixture for 2 minutes.
- Drain barley, discarding the water, shake off excess moisture and add to the pot, stirring so barley is coated with onion and spices.
- Pour two cups of stock and the morel soaking liquid into the pot, cover and bring to the boil. Simmer until the barley has absorbed all the liquid.
- Add remaining liquid half a cup at a time, waiting until it has been fully absorbed before adding more. Add more liquid as necessary (try white wine!) to fully cook the barley — it should still be slightly chewy but not hard.