Top 5

Snipe Top 5: Autumn porridge recipes

Mike Pollitt | Thursday 14 October, 2010 09:59

Porridge is the finest of all autumn breakfasts, mixing the nourishing goodness of soup with the sweet, sweet taste of dessert. It’s also very cheap, and just because it needs a pan or a microwave doesn’t mean it takes ages to make. Not convinced? Here are five great recipes that will bring out your inner Goldilocks.

Basic Scottish Porridge
This recipe is on an American website which refers to “Scottish” porridge as if it were some sort of highland delicacy eaten only by the residents of mist-shrouded isles in the middle of mystical lochs. The recipe is dead simple, and included here primarily because it refers to a spurtle, the traditional stirring device for a good Scottish porridge. Snipe just loves the word spurtle, and we shall be whittling our own spurtle just as soon as we happen upon a suitable log for spurtling with.

Nordic Beer Porridge
Doubtless this is disgusting, but it appears to be a socially acceptable way of starting the day with booze – sort of like putting whiskey on your cornflakes but with added slow release oaty goodness. The recipe suggests “light or alcohol free beer”. A can of Red Stripe counts as “light alcohol”, right?

Jamie Oliver’s Porridge
Jamie is great. So what if his stateside show is a bit overproduced and format heavy, so what if his days as the bright young thing of British TV cookery are over and his mockney patois has worn a bit thin. He’s nice, and his food always looks lovely. This is no exception.

Sick Looking Rhubarb and Apple Porridge
Snipe’s favourite non-boozy porridge on this list. Our cockles are tingling (with warmth) just looking at it. The recipe calls for the soaking of oats in water and the adding of flaxseeds and pepitas. Snipe couldn’t be arsed with all that so we just made normal porridge then added the fruit. It was really, really good.

Sweet Subcontinental Raisin Porridge
No Top 5 list is complete without a left field shout, and cardamom in a breakfast fills that requirement nicely. So stick your spurtle into this one and let us know how it goes.

---