Last year Malcolm and I went to Orkney on a jaunt (or was it the year before). We visited the splendid Barony Mill, a traditional set up. We bought a range of flours, and we also bought some bere berries. I used these to make a traditional spanish dish with mushrooms, totally wonderful.
INGREDIENTS:
- 50g bere berries
- 1/2 onion
- 400g mushrooms (could be a mixture of wild and cultivated, try adding porcini)
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped roughly
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 bunch of coriander leaves, chopped
- Juice of 1/2 small lemon
- salt and pepper
METHOD:
- Simmer the bere berries with the half onion in a litre of water for around 1 hour. Once the bere berries are tender, drain the mixture.
- Pick over the mushrooms and chop them roughly.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat, and add the garlic.
- As soon as the garlic starts to brown, add the cumin and the mushrooms, lower the heat and cook for around five minutes
- Add the bere berries, coriander leaf, leom juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
This is delicious as a snack or side dish. Serve with salad, warm flat bread, a green salad, wine.