I Tried a 2-Minute Trick To Make Porridge More Delicious, And I'll Never Go Back

Porridge oatsI am probably the biggest porridge fan I know. I love my chai latte oats, my slow cooker porridge, and my poached pear oatmeal ― I’ve even gone so far as to buy a spurtle. So you can imagine my surprise when I came across a 2011 article from food writer Felicity Cloake, which involved a technique I’d never heard of before. “One thing that does noticeably improve the taste of my porridge, however, is toasting the oats, as one would when making the Scottish pudding, cranachan,” she said, adding it makes the flavour “nutty” and delicious.When I brought it up to my Scottish editor, she said she’d grown up using the method. Once I got over the grief of realising I’d lost so many years to my limited porridge knowledge, I knew what I had to do ― this tip needed to be tried. How do you “toast” porridge oats?There are lots of ways to do the job. A common (and likely most technically sound) method online seems to be popping them in the oven on a baking tray and waiting for about 10 minutes ’til they appear golden. Love that! But facts are facts: I cannot be bothered to rev up my oven in the morning, and the feeling of heat blowing against my knees while I make porridge sounds like a recipe for an overstimulated morning. So, I went with the technique both my editor and Cloake recommend: letting the oast sit, dry, in a hot pan for a couple of minutes. Cloake advised cooking them until they’re “fragrant”. A little bit like the first time I made brown butter, I spent a couple of minutes wondering if I was smelling the change before it hit me; it’s undeniable, and has something of the aroma of popcorn. After that, add them to the water, milk, combination of both, and spices of your choice. In the spirit of brutal, lazy weekday honesty, I’ll confess I actually toasted these in a small, steep pot rather than the recommended frying pan (it was fine; I just stirred them every 30 seconds or so to make sure they weren’t burning). And I added the liquid in the same pot rather than tipping my oats into a pot of milk. Oops! Oats before, during, and after toastingSo... how did it taste?Shocker: Scottish people know a thing or two about porridge. The taste was richer, deeper, nuttier, and generally more delicious; I think the toasted flavour offsets the creaminess of the milk and fatty additions like peanut butter brilliantly, too. It’s like the difference between untoasted and toasted pine nuts. Once you try it, you never go back. And I’m excited to apply this to crumble toppings, flapjacks, and biscuits, too.Related...This Poached Pear Porridge Recipe Contains A Third Of Your Daily FibreI Make This Chai Latte Porridge Every Winter ― It Only Costs 8p MoreI'll Never Cook Porridge On The Stove Again After Trying This Method

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I Tried a 2-Minute Trick To Make Porridge More Delicious, And I'll Never Go Back

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