Читать книгу A Girl and Her Pig - April Bloomfield - Страница 23

PORRIDGE

My granddad used to make the best porridge. Whenever he did, I’d think about Goldilocks: Granddad’s porridge was never too runny or too thick – it was always just right. He’d simmer rolled oats in milk, and it always smelled so sweet and inviting. Even today, the thought of it makes me go all warm inside. Next, he’d spoon the porridge into a bowl and let it sit until it formed a little skin and began to pull away from the sides. Then my favourite part: he’d pour milk into the space around the edges, the cool milk hitting the hot porridge and making it set like custard. Finally, he’d sprinkle sugar over the middle. The hot porridge, the crunchy sugar, the moat of milk – it was so comforting. Just the thing for cold mornings when there was frost on the ground, and you knew that pretty soon you’d have to leave the house all wrapped up in your scarf, bobble hat, and mitts and pop off to school. These days, I’ll sometimes add a bit of crumbled dried chilli to my porridge. It goes especially nicely with maple syrup.

serves 4

325ml whole milk, plus a few generous splashes

1½ teaspoons Maldon or another flaky sea salt

35g pinhead oats

35g rolled oats (not ‘quick-cooking’ or ‘instant’)

About 2 tablespoons sugar (maple, brown, or white) or maple syrup

Combine the 325ml milk, 325ml water, and the salt in a medium pot (a 2-litre pot should do it) and set over high heat. As soon as the liquid comes to a gentle simmer, add both kinds of oats and lower the heat to medium. Cook the oats at a steady simmer, stirring frequently and tweaking the heat as necessary to maintain the simmer. After about 20 minutes at the simmer, the rolled oats will have turned a bit mushy, while the pinhead oats will be just tender and pop when you bite them. Turn off the heat.

Have a taste. It’s good and salty, isn’t it? Now you want to add sugar or syrup to your taste. I like my porridge to taste a little salty at first, then fade into sweet. Spoon the porridge into warm bowls and let it sit for a minute. Then carefully pour a little cold milk around the edges of each bowl, so it pools all the way round. Sprinkle a five-fingered pinch of sugar or drizzle the syrup in the centre of each and let it melt, then serve right away.

Note:

This recipe feeds four, but it’s great reheated–make the whole batch even if you’re just feeding one or two. Reheat leftovers over low heat along with a splash of water or milk.