Category:
Soup

Barley and Lentil Cottage Pottage

Ingredients:

barley
lentils
garlic
onion
ginger root
Scotch Bonnet capsicums
sesame oil
black cumin
fenugreek
sesame
coriander seed
wine
wine vinegar
carrots
kohlrabi
bok choy

Pick over, rinse and drain two cups of un-pearled barley, which you may see labeled 'pot' barley. Rinse and soak in a liter of water overnight. Now do the same with an equal volume of fine green 'Laird' or other whole lentils.
The next day, boil the barley, adding enough additional water to keep it from burning, for two hours or until it is done. Put aside, covered. Boil the lentils as well until they are quite soft, adding boiling water if and as necessary.
Mince three or four cloves of garlic, and chop a large onion. Grate a knuckle of ginger root. Wash two Scotch Bonnet capsicums, remove their seeds, and chop them into very fine dice. (Use a carrot or collard leaf to hold these dangerous fruits for the blade.) Mix the garlic, onions, ginger and hot peppers together.
Put a teaspoon of sesame oil in the bottom of a stock-pot, and heat the pan over a low heat. Crush half a teaspoon each of black cumin seed and fenugreek seeds. Roughly crush a tablespoonful of sesame seeds. Add the crushed spices to the warm oil, and cook over medium heat, stirring until the seeds become aromatic. At this point add the garlic mixture and half a teaspoon of finely ground coriander seed as well. Stir for a few moments, keeping everything from burning. When truly acrid fumes arise from the agitated chili peppers, add a tablespoon of wine and a tablespoon of wine vinegar. Stir for a moment, and pour in a liter of boiling water. Simmer for ten minutes. Scrape, chop and add two large carrots, and simmer for ten minutes. Simmer five minutes. Pare, chop and add a kohlrabi or a turnip. Simmer five minutes. Pour in all the lentils and the barley, and bring the pottage back to the boil. Simmer for five minutes. Wash a half dozen hearts of bok choy, or twelve young stalks of mustard cabbage greens, which will comprise approximately a standard size Chinatown bundle. Any green leafy vegetable can be substituted here, only have a care for the relative cooking times. Cut these into suitable sized pieces and add to the soup. Simmer for three minutes. Adjust the seasoning, simmer for 3 minutes more, turn off the fire, and let the soup stand for ten minutes. Stir and serve.

Notes:

Recipe Index

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