Portobello Mushrooms with Pearl Barley and Preserved Lemon

Mushrooms and barley always work well together so it was no surprise that this dish was fantastic. The roasted mushrooms were moist and flavourful and the preserved lemon and feta added wonderful freshness to the barley topping.

I followed the recipe for roasting the mushrooms but used only 30g butter and I don’t think more was needed as the juice was delicious as it was. The dish produced far more liquid than needed for serving but I would recommend hanging on to it since it’s so delicious; I added it to soup I’d made from the Portobello stems….best mushroom soup ever!.

The cooking time listed on the package of barley suggested it would be done in half the time that the recipe states “ I decided to follow the package rather than the recipe directions and reduced the liquid as well. It was ready in only 30 minutes.

The single mushroom cap didn’t look particularly substantial on the plate, but it was quite filling. I served it as a side with some grilled steak but with a salad, it would be a wonderful meal.