Nina Matsunaga
On the menu at The Black Bull in Sebergh
Pearl barley
Put two tablespoons of oil in a wide, shallow pan on a medium heat and add the onions, stirring to stop them sticking – you want everything soft, sweet, and translucent. Add the leeks and keep stirring regularly.
After around 10 minutes, pour in the pearl barley and stir. Add a splash of stock, bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer, and when the stock is almost all absorbed, add a little more.
Repeat until the stock is used up, add beetroot juice a splash at a time. Check the pearl barley is soft and swollen and has the desired red/purple colour you want.
Add the thyme and seasoning and stir through to warm for a minute or two. Remove from the heat, add the cream, cheese and spinach, and stir well.
Partridge
Brown the partridges in a pan with a little oil well on all sides and then place in the oven at 180c fan with some butter in its cavity and on top and herbs and seasonings and cook approximately 6-8 mins.
Let the bird rest in a warm place for around 4-5 mins and carve breasts and legs.
To finish, Peel the baby beetroot and cook in lightly salted water until ready (check after 8 mins).
Place halved figs in the oven with a drizzle of oil and soften them a little around 5 mins.
Blanch the kale in salted water, drain and serve.
The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.
Over the last 16 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 560,000 followers across Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.
A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.
Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.
