Barley, Tomato, and Arugula Stew

The original recipe from Ottolenghi’s Flavor cookbook includes kohlrabi and watercress. We couldn’t find either ingredients, so we substituted turnips and arugula. Also, we used a red chile instead of a scotch bonnet, so it was likely less spicy than the original recipe.

We noticed that the sweetness of the turnips diminished after a day in the fridge. It was still pretty good, but not quite as excellent as it was at first.

Ingredients

• 4 turnips (2 lb 2 oz/1kg)
• ½ cup plus 2 tbsp/150ml olive oil, plus more to drizzle
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 large head of garlic
• table salt and black pepper
• 10½ oz/300g sweet, ripe cherry tomatoes
• 1½ cups/300g pearl barley
• 2-3 shallots, finely sliced (¾ cup/120g)
• 2 tsp caraway seeds
• 2 lemons
• 1 red chile
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• ½ cup plus 2 tbsp/150ml dry white wine
• 2 cups/480ml water
• 2¼ cups/100g arugula

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F/190°C fan. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Trim and peel each turnip, then cut lengthwise into eight wedges. You want the wedges to be about 1 inch/2½cm wide, so if the turnip is particularly large, you may need to cut it into more wedges. Put the wedges into a large bowl and toss with the anchovies (if using), 2 tbsp of the olive oil, half the crushed garlic, ½ tsp salt, and a good grind of pepper. Spread out on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle the garlic head with 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Wrap the head tightly in aluminum foil, place in one corner of the baking sheet, and roast for 25 minutes. Turn the turnip wedges, add the tomatoes to the sheet around the turnip, and then return to the oven for another 15-20 minutes, or until the turnip wedges are soft and a deep golden brown and the tomatoes are blistered. Keep warm (or warm up when you serve).
3. When cool enough to handle, remove the foil from the garlic and squeeze the cloves into a small bowl, discarding the papery skin.
4. While the vegetables are in the oven, put the barley into a medium saucepan, cover with plenty of cold water, and place on medium-high heat. Simmer for 20 minutes, until the barley is semicooked but still retains a good bite. Drain and set aside.
5. While the barley is simmering, place a large sauté pan, for which you have a lid, on medium-high heat with 3 tbsp olive oil, the cooked and crushed garlic, shallots, caraway seeds, lemon peel, chile (if using), and 2½ tsp salt. Fry gently for 12 minutes, stirring often, until the shallots are soft and golden brown. Decrease the heat to medium if the shallots are coloring too quickly. Add the tomato paste and continue to cook for 30 seconds before adding the wine, water, and plenty of pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 7 minutes, then add the cooked barley and continue to cook for 10 minutes, until the barley has swollen a little and taken on the flavor of the stew. Discard the chile and lemon peel.
6. In a spice grinder or the bowl of a small food processor, blitz half the arugula with the lemon juice, the remaining ¼ cup/60ml olive oil, and ¼ tsp salt to get a smooth sauce.
7. Transfer the stew to a large serving bowl (or serve straight from the pan)—drizzle the arugula sauce and cream (if using) over the barley and gently swirl them in. Top with the remaining arugula, roasted turnips, and roasted tomatoes. Serve with the lemon wedges alongside.