Pearl barley porridge with chicken hearts

4 servings

60 minutes

We expect two seemingly mutually exclusive things from pearl barley: softness and tenderness, but at the same time dryness and crumbliness. And most importantly - the absence of sliminess, because of which many, having tried unsuccessfully cooked pearl barley porridge once, then look at it sideways with suspicion. Here is what is important to understand: both pearl barley and chicken hearts are slow-cooking products. It will take about two hours to make the porridge, and that's not counting the fact that the cereal needs to be soaked for another six hours, for the hearts - a little less, but they also take a long time to cook. The result is a very simple and capacious combination, and it is worth adding a crust of crispy crackers with paprika to the porridge cooked with cream - and the simple plot will be overgrown with interesting details and new flavors .

Energy value per serving

• Calories: 659.3
• Proteins: 21.5g
• Fats: 36.3g
• Carbohydrates: 66.7g

Ingredients

• Pearl barley: 1 glass
• Cream 20%: 200 ml
• Breadcrumbs: 4 tbsp
• Paprika: 0.5 tbsp
• Butter: 2 tbsp
• Chicken hearts: 300 g
• Onion: 1 head
• Celery stalk: 1 pc
• Sugar: 1 tsp
• Thyme: 1 sprig
• Vegetable oil: 30 ml
• Green: to taste
• Salt: to taste
• Ground black pepper: to taste

Cooking steps

1. Prepare all the ingredients.

2. Rinse the grains well. Boil water in a large pot (2 cups of water for 1 cup of grains). Add sugar and 0.5 teaspoon of salt. Place the grains in boiling water, ensuring the water covers them by 2-3 cm. Cook for 30 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.

   Required ingredients:

   • Pearl barley: 1 glass
   • Sugar: 1 teaspoon
   • Salt:  to taste

3. Pour in the cream, bring the pearl porridge to a boil again, and cook on low heat for another 30 minutes. Do not cover the pot tightly and watch that the porridge doesn't overflow. It should fully absorb the liquid. If it remains wet, keep it on the heat a little longer.

   Required ingredients:

   • Cream 20%: 200 ml

4. While the pearl barley is cooking, sauté the breadcrumbs in butter over medium heat until lightly golden. Remove from heat and mix with paprika.

   Required ingredients:

   • Breadcrumbs: 4 tablespoons
   • Paprika: 0.5 tablespoon
   • Butter: 2 tablespoons

5. Trim the remaining vessels from the hearts and rinse thoroughly.

6. Heat vegetable oil in a pan, add the hearts and thyme, cover with a lid, and sauté on low heat for about 15 minutes until tender.

   Required ingredients:

   • Chicken hearts: 300 g
   • Thyme: 1 sprig

7. Add sliced onions and celery to the pan. Season with salt and pepper, and fry together for another 15 minutes, stirring. The onions should turn golden, and the hearts should be tender. Remove the thyme sprigs.

   Required ingredients:

   • Onion: 1 head
   • Celery stalk: 1 piece
   • Salt:  to taste
   • Ground black pepper:  to taste

8. Mix pearl barley with hearts and vegetables.

   Required ingredients:

   • Pearl barley: 1 glass
   • Chicken hearts: 300 g
   • Onion: 1 head
   • Celery stalk: 1 piece

9. Salt, pepper, and transfer to portioned pots.

   Required ingredients:

   • Salt:  to taste
   • Ground black pepper:  to taste

10. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and paprika, then place in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 15 minutes. Then turn off the oven and let the porridge rest in the warm oven for another 10 minutes.

    Required ingredients:

    • Breadcrumbs: 4 tablespoons
    • Paprika: 0.5 tablespoon

11. Serve the porridge hot, directly in pots, sprinkled with chopped greens.

    Required ingredients:

    • Green:  to taste