Cook UK

BY COUNTRY

KIDS

 SLOW COOKER

Estimated Cooking Time: 3 hrs

Servings: 4 bowls of soup

Non-standard Cooking Utensils: A large pan.

Ingredients:

230 g (8 oz) of shin beef or similar beef cut

30 g (1 oz) of pearl barley

A handful of chopped parsley (2 teaspoons dried parsley)

1 onion

1½ medium potatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

1.2 litres (2.2 pints) of water.

Cooking Method

1. Place all the ingredients in a pan and simmer for 3 hours. Stir occasionally.

2. Remove the onions and potatoes and serve the pearl barley soup in warm bowls

3. Serve with croutons or French bread.

BARLEY
This, in the order of cereal grasses, is, in Britain, the next plant to wheat in point of value, and exhibits several species and varieties. From what country it comes originally, is not known, but it was cultivated in the earliest ages of antiquity, as the Egyptians were afflicted with the loss of it in the ear, in the time of Moses. Barley was a favourite grain with the Athenians, but it was esteemed as an ignominious food by the Romans.

Notwithstanding this, however, Barley was much used by them, as it was in former times by the English, and still is, in the Border counties, in Cornwall, and also in Wales. In other parts of England, it is used mostly for malting purposes. It is less nutritive than wheat; and in 100 parts, has of starch 79, gluten 6, saccharine matter 7, husk 8. It is, however, a lighter and less stimulating food than wheat, which renders a decoction of it well adapted for invalids whose digestion is weak.