Barley Cake Garni Recipe

Ingredients : Serves 4

50 g/2 oz/0.25 cup butter or margarine 1 onion, chopped 1 red (bell) pepper, chopped 225 g/8 oz/generous 1 cup pearl barley 900 ml/1.5 pts/3.75 cups Vegetable Stock 150 ml/0.25 pt dry white wine 2 garlic cloves, crushed Salt and freshly ground black pepper 450 ml/0.75 pt/2 cups Bechamel Sauce 225 g/8 oz/2 cups Emmental (Swiss) cheese, grated 25 g/1 oz/0.5 cup fresh breadcrumbs 30 ml/2 tbsp snipped chives 30 ml/2 tbsp chopped parsley A pinch of grated nutmeg 3 eggs, separated 1 boiled potato, sliced 2 tomatoes, skinned, seeded and sliced cucumber, sliced 4 radishes, sliced 15 ml/1 tbsp powdered gelatine

Method : Melt the butter or margarine and fry (saute) the onion and pepper until soft but not brown. Add the barley and fry for 1 minute, then stir in 600 ml/1 pt/2.5 cups of the stock, the wine and garlic and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 40 minutes, then take off the lid and boil until all the liquid has evaporated. Leave to cool. Fold in the Bechamel Sauce, cheese, breadcrumbs, chives, parsley and nutmeg and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the egg yolks. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then fold them into the mixture. Spoon the mixture into a greased 20 cm/8 in cake tin (pan) and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for 40 minutes. Leave to cool. Decorate the cake with the potato, tomatoes, cucumber and radish slices. Dissolve the gelatine in the remaining stock and pour over the top. Leave to cool before serving.