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A Dish of Lentils and Barley

A reconstructed medieval recipe, published in 1465, Rome. Used when I cooked Baronial Banquet.
Print Recipe
Course Side Dish

Ingredients
  

Barley, for 160:

  • ⅝ qt olive oil
  • 1⅔ qt onion chopped
  • 13⅓ cloves garlic minced
  • 3⅓ qt barley pearled
  • 1⅔ tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 2⅛ gal vegetable stock
  • 1⅛ Tbsp salt

Barley, for 8:

  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • ½ c onion chopped
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 c barley pearled
  • 1 dash freshly ground pepper
  • ⅝ qt vegetable stock
  • ¼ tsp salt

Lentils, for 160:

  • 7 lbs lentils
  • 3½ gal water
  • 7 onions peeled and halved
  • 7 whole garlic cloves peeled
  • 7 whole bay leaves
  • salt and pepper to taste

Lentils, for 8:

  • ½ lb lentils
  • 1 qt water
  • ½ onion peeled and halved
  • 1 whole garlic clove peeled
  • 1 whole bay leaf
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Add the oil to a deep, oven-proof pan heated to high and fry the onions and garlic until very lightly browned. Add barley and pepper and stir until coated. Add stock and salt and bring to a boil. Quickly place in a baking dish and cover. Bake until barley is tender and stock is absorbed, about 45 minutes. Let stand covered for at least 10 minutes.
  • While barley is baking, wash and pick over lentils. Combine lentils with 8 cups water, whole onion, garlic clove and bay leaf in a large pan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer, uncovered, until lentils are tender, 20-30 minutes. Drain and let cool. Remove the onion, garlic, and bay leaf.
  • Putting it all together:
  • Combine barley and lentils, mixing well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or room temperature.