RASPBERRY AND PISTACHIO SILKY PORRIDGE

Be as conventional or otherwise as you like – you can even save your favourite dish for the end of the day

I once worked with a couple of five-star hotel chefs and witnessed a vehement exchange about how many minutes you should boil your porridge to get it to the loveliest consistency. Their eventual answer was 40 minutes! It must be ‘silky’ in texture, they said. Once you’ve tried porridge stewed to a silky consistency, nothing else will do. You could boil your oats with water in a microwave for a couple of minutes (thumbsdown sign), or you could stew it like they do for 40 (thumbs-up sign). If you are trying to delay breakfast, to elongate your fast, maybe 40 minutes will do you just fine! I promise the first mouthful when you are really hungry and ready to open your 10-hour eating slot will be worth it! I sometimes make this in my rice cooker for 40 minutes as it’s easier to clean than a saucepan.

SERVES 1

30g oats

240ml water (yes, water, because milk can curdle in the 40 minutes it takes to make this; you can always add a splash of milk on serving) a teeny pinch of sea salt a scattering of chopped pistachios (you only need a tablespoon – this will make it more filling) a dollop of raspberry jam (raspberry and pistachio is a delicious combo)

Put the oats, water and sea salt in a saucepan, bring to the boil, lower the heat and stew with a tilted lid on (allowing a little steam out as it cooks) for 40 minutes. If you have a slow cooker or rice cooker, you could follow instructions on those.

When ready, turn off the heat. Serve in a bowl with the pistachios, raspberry jam and a splash of milk on top.

HH