Ingredients

• 250g (1 punnet) button mushrooms
• 100g prosciutto slices, roughly chopped
• few sprigs of thyme
• 2 cups pearl barley
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• extra shaved Parmesan cheese
• thyme leaves for garnish

Method

Preheat oven to 180 C) Slice mushrooms in half or more if needed. Heat a little oil in a large frying pan and cook mushrooms for a few minutes over a high heat until lightly coloured.  Add prosciutto to the pan and cook, stirring until prosciutto is crisp.  Pour over the wine and allow to bubble and reduce by half.  Add barley to the pan and stir for a minute and then transfer everything to a casserole or slow cooker, season with salt and a generous grind of black pepper..  Pour over hot chicken stock, cover and cook at 180 C for 35 minutes until stock is absorbed and barley tender or cook on slow cooker set on low for 3 hours.
Stir through grated Parmesan cheese and serve with extra shaved Parmesan and a few sprigs of thyme.