Something to make when you have some leftover roast or shanks, this is a meal-in-one dish that can be eaten right from the individual small casserole dish it is baked in.

Ingredients

　　1 1/2 cups lamb broth (see headnote, page 199) or leftover lamb gravy or pan juice with water

　　2 teaspoons butter or vegetable oil

　　1 shallot, or 1/2 small onion, chopped fine

　　3 or 4 mushrooms, quartered

　　A splash of white wine

　　1/2–3/4 cup cooked lamb, cut into bite-sized pieces

　　Salt

　　Freshly ground pepper

　　A scattering of chopped fresh parsley mixed with a little savory or marjoram, fresh or dried

　　1 tablespoon breadcrumbs

　　A drizzle of olive oil

　　Simmer the barley in a small pot with most of the lamb broth, checking occasionally to see that the liquid has not boiled away, and adding more as needed. After 35–40 minutes, most of the liquid should be absorbed and the barley tender. Set aside. Meanwhile, heat the butter or oil in a small pan, and sauté the shallot until wilted. Add the mushrooms, and cook for 3–4 minutes, tossing occasionally. Splash in some white wine, and cook to reduce a little. Fill the bottom of a one-serving casserole with half the barley, then the mushrooms and lamb pieces, and finally the rest of the barley, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper and the herbs. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top, and drizzle a little olive oil over it. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 20 minutes.

　　The Pleasures of Cooking for One by Judith Jones. Copyright © 2009 by Judith Jones. Published by Knopf. All Rights Reserved.Judith Jones is senior editor and vice president at Alfred A. Knopf. She is the author of The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food and the coauthor with Evan Jones (her late husband) of three books: The Book of Bread; Knead It, Punch It, Bake It!; and The Book of New New England Cookery. She also collaborated with Angus Cameron on The L. L. Bean Game and Fish Cookbook, and has contributed to Vogue, Saveur, and Gourmet magazines. In 2006, she was awarded the James Beard Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. She lives in New York City and Vermont.