National Porridge Week: Here's how to make the perfect porridge 

No gloopy, grim oats for you! Here's how to make porridge that you'll actually enjoy eating

Make your daily bowl of porridge the highlight of your day with our top tips.

The mornings are getting chillier and there's no better way to start your day than with a belly warmed by a perfect bowl of porridge. 

Here's how to make your porridge just right, every morning, and the pitfalls to avoid along the way. 

Get the ratio right

A ratio of 2:1 of liquid to rolled oats is the best way to approach your porridge-making. Choose between the milk of your choice, water or a mix of the two. If you are a fan of milk, you might like to add a splash of water at the end of the cooking to loosen up your mixture and achieve optimum creaminess. 

Mind the heat

Pop your oats and cooking liquid in a pot and bring to the boil. The instant the liquid starts to bubble, bring the heat down to a simmer. Cook gently for a few minutes until your porridge is velvety and delicious. Porridge is like scrambled eggs. Turn the heat off before it is fully cooked to avoid the rubbery oats that haunt our childhood.

Don't forget the toppings

Porridge oats act as the perfect flavour vehicle for whatever combinations are your favourite. A solid pinch of cinnamon in the cooking liquid begs to be topped with chopped apple and honey, consider stirring in a teaspoon of your favourite nut butter before topping with banana slices for an Elvis-inspired breakfast. The combinations are endless — half a teaspoon of cocoa stirred into the milk for a chocolate porridge or date syrup, raspberries and almonds. Whatever you love will work in your porridge. 

Seasoning is key

Just like half a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup is crucial to your porridge, so too is a scant pinch of salt. 

Think about texture

When you're planning your breakfast, make sure that you consider texture. Porridge is creamy, so include something crunchy like nuts, seeds or even a scattering of granola, something tart like chopped Granny Smith apples or some raspberries and something unexpected like a single square of dark chocolate, melting into the oats or a swirl of peanut butter.

Remember the pot

When you have assembled your breakfast bowl, pour cold water and washing-up liquid straight into your porridge pot to ensure easy cleaning. You can thank us later. 

Macroom oatmeal porridge

recipe by:Currabinny Cooks

Porridge made with Macroom pinhead oatmeal is a hearty favourite, served with a drizzle of honey and fresh fruit

Servings

1

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 5 mins

Total Time

 10 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 teacup of water

• 1.5 teacups of milk

• good pinch of seasalt

•  ½ teacup Macroom oatmeal

Method

1. Heat all the ingredients in a pot over a medium heat, stirring continuously. The oats will absorb the liquid very fast so be careful not to let it stick to the bottom.

2. 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.

3. To make the variation with peaches, pomegranate and raw honey, use the same recipe as above just using less salt. When you have transferred the oatmeal into your bowl, arrange slices of good ripe peaches in the middle, sprinkle a few pomegranate seeds over and drizzle generously with good quality raw honey.

Oaty inspiration

Berry compôte with Greek yoghurt. To make a berry compote, pour frozen berries of your choice into a pot with a squeeze of lemon and cook for about ten minutes. Whiz with a hand blender and once cooled, store in your fridge for up to a week. Dollop equal quantities of yoghurt and compôte for a luscious start to the day. 

Carrot cake porridge. Grate a carrot and add a tablespoon of raisins and a pinch of mixed spice to your porridge oats while cooking. To serve, top with walnuts and a swirl of maple syrup. 

Adults-only porridge. Cook your porridge oats as directed and before serving, scatter with brown sugar before drizzling on a tablespoon of whisky and a tablespoon of double cream.