Styrian Barley Bowl
Authentic Styrian Ritschart: an ancient alpine grain bowl of pearl barley simmered with smoked ham broth, tender root vegetables, white beans, and fresh marjoram, drizzled with dark Styrian pumpkin seed oil.
Ingredients
- • 180g Austrian pearl barley (Rollgerste)
- • 150g cooked white beans
- • 200g smoked pork loin or smoked ham hock, diced
- • 2 carrots and 1 parsley root, peeled and diced
- • 1 small leek, washed and sliced
- • 1 litre smoked pork or vegetable broth
- • 1 tsp dried mountain marjoram
- • 2 tbsp dark green Styrian pumpkin seed oil (Kürbiskernöl) for drizzling
- • Fresh parsley, chopped, sea salt and black pepper
Preparation Steps
Rinse the pearl barley under cold water in a sieve until the water runs clear. In a large soup pot, combine the barley with the broth and bring to a boil.
Add the diced smoked meat, carrots, parsley root, sliced leek, and dried marjoram to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes until the barley is plump and tender.
Stir in the cooked white beans and simmer for a final 8 minutes so the flavours meld into a thick, comforting stew-like porridge. Season with black pepper and salt if needed.
Ladle the hot barley stew into rustic bowls. Drizzle each portion with a swirl of deep emerald Styrian pumpkin seed oil, scatter with fresh chopped parsley, and serve with dark sourdough.