Mushroom & Barley Stew

Ingredients

• ●2 tablespoons olive oil
• ●2 tablespoons butter
• ●1½ pounds mixed mushrooms (cremini, shiitake, oyster — whatever you can find), cleaned and sliced
• ●1 large onion, diced
• ●2 carrots, peeled and diced
• ●2 stalks celery, diced
• ●4 cloves garlic, minced
• ●2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ●1 cup pearl barley, rinsed
• ●6 cups beef, mushroom, or vegetable stock
• ●2 sprigs fresh thyme
• ●1 bay leaf
• ●1 tablespoon soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce
• ●Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ●Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Method

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms in a single layer — work in batches if needed. Don't stir them. Let them sear undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown on the bottom. Flip and cook 2 more minutes. Season with salt and remove to a plate.
2. Add the remaining oil and butter to the pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery with a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat until softened, about 6 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and tomato paste. Stir and cook for 2 minutes until the tomato paste darkens.
4. Add the barley and stir to coat in the vegetables and paste.
5. Pour in the stock. Add the thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
6. Cover and cook for 35 to 40 minutes, until the barley is tender and has released its starch, thickening the stew naturally.
7. Return the mushrooms to the pot. Stir and cook for 5 more minutes.
8. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Serve in deep bowls with fresh parsley and crusty bread for sopping up the broth.
10. *Storage:** Refrigerate for up to 5 days. The barley will continue to absorb liquid — thin with stock when reheating. Freezes well for 3 months.
11. *Seasonal note:** If you can find wild mushrooms — chanterelles, porcini, hen of the woods — this is the place to use them. Even a small amount of wild mushrooms mixed with cultivated ones transforms the stew. Dried porcini are excellent too: soak them in hot water for 20 minutes, chop and add to the pot, and use the soaking liquid as part of your stock.