Fiefhusener Boddermelksupp with bacon and pearl barley

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 2 liters of buttermilk
• 1 liter of water
• 250 g pearl barley
• 800 g smoked, streaky pork belly in one piece
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil (rapeseed/sunflower)
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 tbsp butter, cold
• n. B. Salt
• n. B. sugar
• 1 bunch parsley, flat, medium-finely chopped

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 10 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes; Total time approx. 13 hours

(Buttermilk soup with bacon and pearl barley), culinary highlight from Schleswig-Holstein

Soak the pearl barley in cold water (1 liter) overnight. The next day, bring the barley to a boil in the soaking water and then simmer for half an hour at just below boiling point. Brown the bacon/pork belly all over in the vegetable oil over high heat. Add the bacon/pork belly to the barley water and top up with the buttermilk. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 2 hours. Stir frequently! At the end of the cooking time, remove the bacon/pork belly and set aside. Trim the rind and slice the bacon. Let the soup cool slightly, then add the egg yolks and butter. Stir slowly and thoroughly with a whisk (blend). Season to taste with salt and sugar. I always like to use a little more sugar because we prefer a sweet-spicy flavor. It’s best to slowly adjust the salt and sugar to your personal taste. When serving, you can either place the bacon in the center of the plate and top it with soup, or serve it on a separate plate. I prefer to serve it separately. The guest can then decide whether to slice the bacon and add it to the soup or enjoy it on its own. Both have their own special charm. Finally, garnish the soup with parsley.