Saturday 16 June 2007

por·ridge

Och aye tha noo!

Greig is Scottish, and he of course makes the best porridge in the world. Ever. I am not biased this is simply a fact. He eats it rather differently to me however : I grew up having soft brown sugar and a bit of milk on the cooked porridge, and if I was lucky the top of the milk or some cream. My sister likes a wee dram of whiskey on her porridge, with the cream and sugar. But Greig, just adds a bit more salt, and maybe a spot of milk if he is feeling a bit naughty.

One of the best things with which to stir the porridge is a spurtle. A spurtle is a wooden stick like tool which is able to get right into the corners of the pot, but doesn't resist its path through the porridge like a wooden spoon can.

We use steel cut rolled oats, never any that are processed more than that - what is the point? We sometimes mix in a proportion of jumbo uncut oats, just for a wee change, ye ken?

It is so wet and rainy here in Wellington today, that porridge was the perfect breakfast.
Porridge
serves 2

1 cup rolled oats
2 cups water
approximately 1 teaspoon salt
approximately 1 cup of milk

Mix the oats, water and salt in a pot and cook for a while, stirring frequently with your spurtle. Add the milk gradually to make the consistency you prefer. Taste and add more salt before serving with soft brown sugar, whiskey, cream and more salt.
It is so wet and rainy here in Wellington today, that porridge made the perfect breakfast.

4 comments:

Barbara said...

Emma where do you get steel cut oats from? I would love to get some as I'm so sick of the gluggy stuff the supermarket oats produce.

Barbara said...

PS Ilike butter and salt on my porridge but I don't do it very often or I'd be huge.

Emma said...

Barbara - I was mistaked, we cannot buy steel cut oats in NZ, I have fixed the post. I buy oats from the organic shop and they take alot longer to cook than the supermarket ones. Taste way better too! I might just have to try the butter thing - or do you think I better not even start?!

Bron said...

G won't be at all impressed, hehe but I like my porridge with chopped banana and raisins, drizzled with maple syrup!
However when the budget is tightened I make do with golden syrup!