s
a child, many cold winter mornings would begin with the wonderful smell of
oats cooking on the stove. Once that steaming bowl of hot porridge
was placed before me I would dress it with a spoonful of soft brown sugar
and, if we were lucky, rich cream that had been skimmed from the
milk. The porridge of my
youth, made with rolled oats, is not what I enjoy today. Then, my mother
used 'rolled' oats which are
oats that have been
cleaned, toasted, hulled, steamed and then flattened into flakes and,
depending on the thickness of the flakes, are labeled either 'old-fashioned' or
'quick-cooking' (old-fashioned being thicker than quick cooking). Today
I make my porridge with
'steel-cut' Irish Oatmeal which has a hearty oat flavor and chewy, not mushy, texture.
Steel-cut oatmeal and rolled oats look very different from each other,
for steel-cut means the oats are
'cut' not 'rolled', so instead of flakes of oats you have tiny
hard bits of golden oatmeal (think of mini rice particles). Of course, it is always nice to consult an expert when making a new
dish, so for advise on making a good bowl of porridge I turned to Marian
McNeill and her
cookbook 'Recipes from Scotland'. Her advise is sound; start with
a good quality oatmeal, fresh spring water (or at least filtered), and a
thick bottomed pot. Boil the water and then add the oatmeal
by "letting it fall in a steady rain
from the left hand whilst you stir it with the right". Add a
little salt and then cook the oatmeal until it is of good taste and
quality, usually between 20 - 30 minutes. Do not overcook or you
will end up with a "gluey, flavourless mess". The interesting part of
her instructions is how you should eat your porridge. She tells us
to have two bowls; one bowl for the porridge and another bowl for cold
milk or cream. You are to first dip your spoon in the porridge and
then take the spoonful of porridge and dip it into the cold milk.
This gives you the delicious contrast of hot oatmeal and shocking cold
milk.
It is little wonder that she refers to porridge as "food for the gods".
If
you are
not familiar with 'steel-cut' Irish Oatmeal the most readily available brand
in North America is 'John McCann's Irish Oatmeal'. It is
sold in 28 ounce (783 gram) metal canisters. You can find
this brand at some grocery stores, most specialty food stores or on-line
(Google 'John McCann's Irish Oatmeal').
In a medium sized saucepan
bring the 4 cups of water to boil. Sprinkle the oatmeal over the
boiling water, stirring constantly to prevent any lumps from forming.
Add the salt and reduce the heat to low and allow the porridge to
simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve with brown or white sugar and
rich milk or cream.
Leftovers can be covered and refrigerated for another morning.
To reheat, simply add a little hot water or milk to thin out the
porridge and then place in the microwave or in a heatproof bowl over a
saucepan of simmering water until warm.
Makes 4 servings.
Oatmeal Porridge Recipe:
4 cups (1 liter) water
1 cup (180 grams)
steel-cut Irish Oatmeal
1/4 teaspoon salt
For Garnish:
Brown or White Sugar and Rich
Milk or Cream
Sources:
Cunningham, Marion. 'The
Breakfast Book'. New York: Wings Books, 1987.
Davidson,
Alan. The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford: Oxford University Press,
1999.
Mariani,
John F. The Dictionary of American Food & Drink, New Haven and New York:
Ticknor & Fields, 1983.
McNeill, F.
Marian. 'Recipes from Scotland'. The Albyn Press. Edinburgh: 1946.
Norwak,
Mary. 'The English Farmhouse Kitchen'. Follett Publishing Company. Chicago:
1975.
Thorne,
John. 'Simple Cooking'. North Point Press. New York: 1980.
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If
you are
not familiar with 'steel-cut' Irish Oatmeal the most readily available brand
in North America is 'John McCann's Irish Oatmeal'. It is
sold in 28 ounce (783 gram) metal canisters. You can find
this brand at some grocery stores, most specialty food stores or on-line
(Google 'John McCann's Irish Oatmeal'). 
