Freekeh

Directions

→ 1 cup uncooked freekeh weighs 6 ounces (170 g).

→ Use 1 part freekeh to 2 parts liquid as a rule of thumb for the absorption method.

→ Cook freekeh for 15 to 20 minutes.

→ 1 cup (170 g) uncooked freekeh yields 2½ cups (370 g) cooked.

Notes

Freekeh is a form of wheat that I can't get enough of, partly because two of my favorite farmers-Anthony and Carol Boutard of Ayers Creek Farm in Gaston, Oregon-produce freekeh locally. Freekeh tradition- ally starts with durum wheat, the hard (high-protein) variety that's used for the best pastas. The magic happens when the wheat is harvested while still "green," rather than letting the kernels come to full maturity and dry on the stalk.

The green wheat is harvested and then the hulls are removed by burning them off. Then it gets threshed, and the resulting grain is at once slightly vegetal and smoky in flavor, with a tender chew. You'll usually find freekeh in cracked form, which makes cooking quicker, but whole-kernel freekeh exists.