Thursday, February 2, 2012

Perfect Porridge


For my Scottish ancestors it would be tantamount to blasphemy to suggest that porridge tastes better when made in a microwave. However, though I’m not sure why, it really does. It also has the advantage of allowing you get on with other things instead of standing there wielding a spurtle. With the oatmeal used below (as opposed to rolled oats) you do have to stop and stir every 2-3 minutes to avoid it going lumpy though. In this version you make the porridge quite thick and add milk just before serving.

Makes one generous portion. For more than one person add the same quantities again per portion and increase the cooking time proportionately. Remember to use a bigger bowl as the porridge bubbles up excitingly in the later stages.

Ingredients

A handful of sultanas
2-4 tablespoons of apple juice

60g Oatmeal (rather than rolled oats)
300ml water
Salt (for its moral value rather than its taste)

A handful of mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower etc.)

Sugar or honey or mashed banana to taste
Full-cream milk

  1. The night before soak the sultanas in the apple juice in a covered bowl.
  2. Mix the oatmeal, water and salt in a large microwavable bowl.
  3. Cook in a microwave for 2 minutes at 800W (vary the time according to the power of the microwave). Stir it and do the same again. Leave for a minute or so before taking out.
  4. While the porridge is cooking roast the seeds by stirring them in a dry pan over heat. Keep stirring them or they will burn.
  5. When you take the porridge out mix in the sultanas, seeds, sugar/honey/banana and (last so it doesn’t go cold) the milk.
  6. Soak the bowls you’ve used in cold water (no need for anything else) and by evening they’ll pretty much clean themselves.

You may be hungry again before you’ve even left the house but it’s good while it lasts. 

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