Nigella Lawson's Chicken and Barley Stew

 This recipe caught my eye at the start of what seems like the longest of all winters. It's very reminiscent of a chicken soup that my grandma used to make a million years ago and tastes very similar with the exception that ours used to be served with huge fluffy ( mostly ) dumplings.

Its beyond easy to make and has that wonderful starchy wintery goodness that makes you long for winter during a warm summer. I'm not a lover of parsnips so I cut mine quite small in order that I didn't have to wrestle with them while otherwise tucking in, otherwise I follow this recipe pretty much to the letter.

Ingredients:

• 300 grams peeled carrots,
• 300 grams sliced and cleaned leeks
• 300 grams peeled parsnips
• 175 grams pearl barley
• 6 chicken thighs chopped into large chunks
• 1 1/2 litres of hot chicken stock
• 4 teaspoons English mustard
• 25 grams flatleaf parsley

Tip all the chopped and peeled vegetables into a heavy based lidded casserole, add the pearl barley and the chicken, mix the stock with the mustard and pour over the mix. Bring to the boil, skim off any pesky froth and then simmer for an hour.

It almost feels as though there isn't enough pearl barley in this recipe and its going to watery and thin but it's perfect, I would say that it needs a good wallop of salt and loads of black pepper but its so flippin tasty ( considering the dearth of ingredients ) and this recipe serves 5/6 easily.

Its lovely, thanks Nigella !