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Beef and barley one-pot with zesty gremolata
Serves: 4
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Toby Scott
Beef and barley one-pot with zesty gremolata
Recipe by Anna Glover
Deliciously nutty barley contains soluble fibre, while garlic is good for cholesterol and blood pressure. Carrots add flavour and vitamins without spoiling the colour of the beautifully creamy barley
Serves: 4
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time:
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
511Kcal
Fat
16gr
Saturates
6gr
Carbs
48gr
Sugars
8gr
Fibre
10gr
Protein
58gr
Salt
1gr
Anna Glover
Anna is our former Creative Food Editor, and a cookery writer and food stylist. She loves a challenge and is known for whipping up interesting flavour combinations. She’s still in search of the best pizza in the world
See more of Anna Glover’s recipes
Anna Glover
Anna is our former Creative Food Editor, and a cookery writer and food stylist. She loves a challenge and is known for whipping up interesting flavour combinations. She’s still in search of the best pizza in the world
See more of Anna Glover’s recipes
Ingredients
- 3-4 tsp olive oil
- 2 x 450g packs extra-lean diced beef, trimmed of any fat
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 2 celery stalks, finely diced
- 2 carrots, quartered
- 1 litre hot chicken stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 200g pearl barley, rinsed
- 1 x 250g pack chestnut mushrooms, halved or quartered
For the gremolata
- 1 x 28g pack flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- zest of 1 large lemon
Step by step
Get ahead
Prepare to the end of step 3 up to 2 days in advance and chill, or freeze.
-
Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in the slow cooker, or in a nonstick frying pan if your slow cooker doesn’t have a sear/sauté function. Fry the beef pieces in batches until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set to one side. Use another teaspoon of oil, if needed, to fry the rest.
-
Heat another teaspoon of oil and add the onion, celery and carrot chunks to the pan. Fry for 10-15 minutes until the onions are translucent. Return the beef to the pan and add the chicken stock, bay leaves, and some seasoning. Add to the slow cooker, if you used a frying pan, and cook for 2-3 hours on low.
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Remove the carrots – enjoy them as a cook’s perk, or eat them on the side; add the pearl barley. Cook for 2-3 hours until the barley and beef are tender. Add a little water if it looks dry. Fry the mushrooms in a teaspoon of oil in a frying pan on high for 3-4 minutes. Season; add to the stew for the last 15 minutes.
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For the gremolata, mix the ingredients together in a small bowl, and scatter it over the beef and barley to serve.
TipOVEN COOKING: Cook for 1-1½ hours at 140°C, fan 120°C, gas 1 in step 2, and a further 1-1½ hours after adding the pearl barley in step 3.