Chocolate porridge | Jamie Oliver breakfast recipes (2024)

FAQs

Should you put butter in porridge? ›

A girdle of very cold milk, or single cream on special occasions, is essential, (traditionally, it would be served in a separate bowl, to keep the oats hot and the milk cold), but a knob of butter, as suggested by Word of Mouth readers, while melting attractively into the oats, proves too greasy for my taste.

Method. The night before, place the oats, Granola Dust and a pinch of cinnamon into a lidded container. Pour over the milk, mix well then cover and pop in the fridge overnight. In the morning, grate in most of the apple and pear and give the mixture a good stir, adding a splash more milk to loosen, if needed.

The oats will absorb the liquid very fast so be careful not to let it stick to the bottom. After about 5 or 6 minutes when the oatmeal has softened and is at the consistency of porridge then transfer into a bowl and sprinkle with a little bit of soft brown sugar if desired.

It's easy to make better tasting oatmeal.

Better tasting oatmeal is just a little salt away! Take it from a Scot, whether you eat your porridge sweet or savory, you need salt (and more than a pinch). Of course, using good quality oatmeal is important, too.

But the main difference between porridge and oatmeal is that porridge is made with a variety of whole grains, cereal or legumes, and oatmeal is made with oats (either rolled, flattened or ground).

As Best points out, "some of the worst ingredients that are mistakenly added to healthy overnight oat recipes include chocolate sauce, sugar, syrup, and dried fruit."

Granola is also the perfect portable breakfast – once cooled, tip it into a tub or large jam jar, then take it to work with a pot of yoghurt and a couple of punnets of berries and you're sorted for a good few days.

The steps to perfect porridge. The best way to prepare your rolled oats is to soak them overnight in enough water to cover them (allow half a cup of oats per person). You could add some almonds to pre-soak with the oats. Soaking grains and nuts makes them easier to digest.

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".

Why do Scots put salt in porridge? ›

Many people argue that it must be salt to give balance to the porridge and correct the flavour, while others favour sugar to sweeten it up. The argument for using salt is that it is a test of Scottishness and it is only the Sassenachs who would put sugar on their porridge!

Simple: oats are up to 60 per cent starch, which is a thickening agent. Starch is a carbohydrate that forms granules made from polymers called amylose and amylopectin. Whenyou cook oats in water or milk, the starch granules swell to absorb liquid and theporridgestarts to thicken.

For the liquid, you can opt for cow's milk, almond milk or any other dairy-free alternative. Check out our healthy oat recipes, warming porridge recipes and energy-boosting breakfast recipes.

Steel-cuts and rolled oats have a lower glycemic index than quick oats, potentially making them the best choices for blood sugar control.

Whichever porridge you choose, make it with low-fat milk or water to keep the calories down and minimise saturated fat, especially if you are trying to lower your cholesterol levels. Don't add salt, as an excess intake can raise your blood pressure over time, and avoid adding sugar, syrup or honey.

By adding raw milk, raw cream, and even raw butter into your morning oats, you elevate your breakfast to the NEXT level, both taste-wise (because the texture is so rich and creamy) and nutritional-wise, because you are adding the fat soluble vitamins to your meal (A, D, E, and K) which are essential for brain, skin, ...

Just melt a little pat of butter in a saucepan over medium heat, and once the foam settles down, add your oats. Stir to coat the oats in the butter and then toast them, swirling or stirring the pan often, until they are fragrant and have even darkened a shade, about five minutes.

Adding water or milk to porridge

The key to cooking a creamy, delicious porridge is the correct ratio of milk to water. Too much milk will make your oatmeal porridge stickier and thicker. No milk at all and your porridge will lack that creamy taste. Of course, you don't have to use milk at all if you don't want to.

Healthy fats

Nuts and nut butters are also great in porridge. Almond butter, for example, is a source of vitamin E, phosphorus and magnesium. Or top with a tablespoon of seeds such as flax, chia or hemp seeds for a fish-free omega-3 boost.