Recipe of the week

To use barley in a side dish, try cooking it like pasta, said Cook’s Illustrated. Boiling barley in a large volume of salted water for 25 minutes or more rids it of sticky starch. Once the barley is cooked, cool it on a rimmed baking sheet, toss it with an orange-y dressing, and add fennel and apricots. If you useTurkish apricots, which are sweeter, reduce the number to 12.

1½ cups pearled barley • salt and pepper • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • 2 tbsp minced shallot • 1 garlic clove, minced • ½ tsp grated orange zest plus 2 tbsp juice • 20 dried California apricots, chopped • ¼ cup minced fresh parsley • 1 small fennel bulb, halved, cored, and chopped fine • 2 tbsp minced fennel fronds

• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in a Dutch oven. Add barley plus 1 tbsp salt and cook, adjusting heat to maintain gentle boil, until barley is tender with a slight chew, up to 45 minutes. Cooking time varies, so start checking at 25 minutes. While barley cooks, in a large bowl whisk

together vinegar, oil, shallot, garlic, orange zest and juice, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper. • Drain barley and spread evenly over prepared baking sheet. Let stand until no longer steaming, 5 to 7 minutes, then add to bowl with dressing and toss to coat. Stir in apricots, parsley, and fennel. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6 to 8.