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Lemon and roast garlic pearl barley

A store cupboard favourite, pearl barley is so much more forgiving than risotto rice as it won't overcook in two minutes.
From: The Guardian SERVES 4

garlic 1 head
oil (olive oil preferably, but vegetable will do) 2 tbsp
salt 3g
pearl barley 300g
shallot (onion can be used instead) 40g, finely chopped
white wine 150g (optional)
chicken stock, veg stock or water 400g
cream 150ml
grated cheese (preferably Old Winchester, or another firm, nutty cheese such as parmesan, but any will do) 125g
lemons zest and juice of 2
chives or spring onion tops 2 tbsp, finely chopped

Cut the top off the garlic bulb and wrap in tin foil with 1 tablespoon of the oil and the salt. Place in a 150C/gas mark 2 oven to roast for approximately 40 minutes. The garlic will feel soft to the touch and have a deep golden brown colour all over when ready.

Set the garlic aside to cool for 15-20 minutes, then squeeze the pulp out of the cloves. Mash with a fork and push through a fine sieve, or don't bother if you don't mind lumps of garlic. Place the roast garlic puree in the fridge in a tub with a close-fitting lid, or a zip-lock bag, so that your whole fridge doesn't reek of garlic. There will be more puree than you need for this dish, but it is good to have to hand as it can be used in all sorts of other recipes such as curries, pasta dishes, stir fries etc, or can be mixed with butter and spread on warm bread.

Place the other tablespoon of oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the pearl barley and warm through in the pan until it is beginning to toast slightly.

Keep the pearl barley moving constantly at this stage. When starting to turn a light golden colour, add the chopped shallot and stir through the pearl barley.

Sweat the shallot until translucent then add the wine if using, and about a quarter of the liquid. Stir well, then leave to simmer until the liquid is reduced by about half. Add another quarter of the stock, simmer, reduce by half, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking and repeat until all of the liquid is in the pan.

Simmer until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed, then taste the pearl barley to see how well cooked it is. I prefer pearl barley with a bit of chewiness to it, but some prefer it softer – if you want to cook it further, add a little more liquid and cook for another 5-10 minutes, checking every once in a while.

When the barley is as you would like it, add the cream and stir well, then simmer for one minute. Add a dessertspoonful of the roast garlic puree then stir well, taste and add more if desired.

Add the cheese and stir well, but don't allow to simmer after this or the cheese will overcook and the sauce around the pearl barley will become grainy.

Add the zest, juice and chives or spring onion tops and season to taste. At this stage you can also alter the consistency by adding some more stock, water or cream – the ideal consistency is creamy and unctuous, similar to a good risotto. Check the seasoning again and serve with anything green you have in – it works particularly well with dark green vegetables such as kale or sprout tops, or peppery salad leaves, but even frozen peas aren't bad with this dish.