CHICKEN STEW WITH PEARL BARLEY AND OLIVES

PREPARATION TIME: 20 MINS COOKING TIME: 1 HOUR SERVES 4 (AS A MAIN)

100g (½ cup) pearl barley

3 tsp extra virgin olive oil

4 x 125g skinless chicken breast

fillets, trimmed of fat, halved 2 brown onions, cut into very thin

slivers

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

185ml (¾ cup) white wine 2 carrots, chopped

1 green capsicum, sliced 2 bay leaves

Few sprigs thyme

410g can no-added-salt

tomato puree

500g tomatoes, chopped

185ml (¾ cup) salt-reduced

vegetable stock

Rind of 1 lemon, peeled into strips,

white pith removed, thinly sliced 90g (½ cup) Sicilian green olives

4 x 30g slices wholemeal sourdough

bread, to serve

1 Put barley in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside.

2 Heat 1 tsp oil in large saucepan or heatproof casserole dish on medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 1-2 minutes on each side or until browned. Transfer to plate. 3 Add remaining oil to pan and heat over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7-8 minutes or until onion softens. Increase heat to high, add wine. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Drain barley. Add to pan with carrot, capsicum, bay leaves, thyme, puree, tomatoes, stock and rind. Stir well, making sure barley is covered by liquid. Cover, bring to simmer on a high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, for 30 minutes. 4 Add chicken and olives. Continue to cook, covered, for 10-15 minutes or until chicken is just cooked and barley is tender. Remove bay leaves and thyme stalks and serve with bread.

COOK’S TIP

You can use red capsicum in place of green and black olives instead of green olives.