Overnight Porridge

Spoiler Alert!!!  This makes the best, smoothest and creamiest porridge ever even without milk!  BUT this recipe is really only practical if you have an Aga or a Rayburn   You can do it in an ordinary oven turned to the lowest setting and left on overnight, but it would mean leaving the power on specially – whereas an old fashioned Aga or Rayburn is on anyway.

The porridge is very simple to make with no need for the long, laborious stirring required to make porridge this silky.   Set it up for two minutes the night before, leave overnight, and then two minutes in the morning and it’s ready.  If possible use steel-cut pinhead oats for the best results although you can make it with rolled if that’s all you have.  You can customise the porridge anyway you like.  At the moment we are eating it with blueberries and local honey but it’s great with whatever fruit is in season – stewed apple, rhubarb, berries etc. You can add seeds, tropical fruit or whatever you fancy.  Those of you who suffer from hay fever might like to know that if you top this with honey which is from a local bee-keeper,  there is evidence to suggest it will help reduce hayfever symptoms as it increases immunity to the local pollens etc

This is a wonderfully healthy breakfast. This porridge is gluten free, lactose free if you don’t use dairy milk and is a wonderful source of slow release energy due to its low GI rating so you don’t get hungry quickly

My top tip would be that in the morning when you have taken the pan of porridge out of the oven, hook the oven glove over the pan handle to avoid getting burnt as it’s easy to forget as you stir that handle will be hot!!!

UPDATE

If you don’t have an AGA my friend Stephen does his by using rolled oats instead of pinhead and then after bringing to the simmer just putting on lid and leaving to the side overnight   In the morning he just brings to boil and stirs until thickened   He says it makes great creamy porridge similar to that the AGA method produces  Thanks Stephen!

Ingredients (makes 2 large portions)

• 1 pint water
• pinch of salt
• 70g pinhead oats

Options- Any milk (dairy or otherwise), double cream, fruit, honey etc

Method

1. Put water and salt in a heavy pan which has a tight fitting lid
2. Bring to the boil and add the oats.  Simmer for a minute
3. Cover with lid and put on rack on floor of coolest Aga oven with cool shelf directly above
4. Leave overnight
5. In the morning remove pan from oven.
6. Take off lid and add milk, cream or more water to achieve the consistency you like. Bring to a simmer, stirring until combined
7. Put in bowls and top with fruit etc