LEMONY BARLEY WITH SHRIMP AND SPINACH

Posted in Seafood by

This recipe used to be a regular rotation in our kitchen then I totally forgot all about it. I was sure it was in the blog already, so I wanted to make it the other day and was shocked because… it has never been shared here. Shame. Shame. Shame. I will not walk through the streets of Manhattan in GoT fashion. Instead, I will quickly share it today, and hope to be forgiven.

LEMONY BARLEY WITH SHRIMP AND SPINACH
(inspired by a recipe from Fine Cooking)

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined (save peels for stock)
1/2 large onion, skin on
1 lemon, cut in slices
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, minced
1 stalk celery, minced
1 cup + 1/3 cup quick-cooking barley
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup black olives, pitted, cut in pieces
zest of 1 lemon

Make a shrimp stock simmering the shells with the half onion and lemon slices. Season it lightly with salt and pepper. Reserve.  You will use about 2 cups of the stock to cook the barley.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and saute the shrimp seasoned with a little salt until almost fully cooked. Remove and reserve, covered with foil. Add a little more oil if needed, and saute in the same pan the onion and celery  until fragrant, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper.

 Add the barley and stir until coated with the oil and veggie pieces. Add the lemon juice and cook, stirring, for 15 seconds. Pour in 2 cups of shrimp stock, 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits in the pan. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer until the barley is tender, 12 minutes.

Uncover the pan, add in the spinach and cook until wilted. Stir in the reserved shrimp, black olives, and lemon zest.  Adjust seasoning if needed and serve right away.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This is truly delicious, and I am kicking myself for taking so long to bring this back to our table. It is quick to prepare, and if you like to make it even easier, use chicken stock, store-bought, which is actually part of the original recipe from Fine Cooking. I just feel that if you have the peels available, shrimp stock is ready so quickly, why not up the flavor of the dish with it?  Your kitchen, your decision.
.

 

13 thoughts on “LEMONY BARLEY WITH SHRIMP AND SPINACH”

  4. Well Sally . . . this dish may soon well be in ‘regular rotation’ in my kitchen as both prawns and barley are firm favourites ! Love the addition of spinach but more so the then extra of olives . . . at the moment cannot think of a recipe featuring both – you do have a talent for adding that extra nuance to make a difference . . . 🙂 !

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • the original recipe did not have black olives but having added them, I think they do work quite well, bringing that brine-y component that echoes the shrimp. Very happy with this one!

      Like

      Reply

  5. Made it last night and it was delicious. Took longer than 12 minutes for the pearl barley I had on hand to absorb the liquid, but it worked. Added some chopped up snow peas we had on hand, otherwise followed the recipe as written.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • I bet there are differences indeed in the cooking time depending on the brand etc. I adore barley… it is deliciously chewy, and a change from rice and more ‘usual’ side dishes.

      Like

      Reply

Click here to comment, love to hear from you!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.