Pease Porridge Hot

As the autumn mornings become chillier, I find bowl of porridge helps start the day. I didn’t know about the traditions, although once I was served a wee dram with my porridge in a B & B and it was delicious.

English: Music for Pease Porridge Hot. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Traditions: Stirring the porridge should always be clockwise. Porridge used to be served with a separate bowl of double cream. A spoonful of porridge (in a horn spoon) was dipped into a communal bowl of cream before eating. Porridge is eaten standing up. Out of respect for the noble dish? It probably arose from busy farmers doing other things while eating, or as an aid to digestion. While some people frown at the idea of sugar on porridge others not only approve but suggest a tot of whiskey. Porridge used to be poured into a “porridge drawer” and, once it had cooled, it could be cut up into slices. These were easier to carry than brittle oatcakes.

PORRIDGE “Oatmeal was once described as the “backbone of many a sturdy Scotsman”. Porridge was one of the main ways of eating oats, in days gone by. There is a lot of mystique about making porridge and many traditions associated with cooking and eating it. The important thing is to obtain good quality medium-ground oats (rather than rolled oats) and to keep stirring it to avoid solid lumps.

Ingredients (sufficient for two people): One pint (half litre) water’ some use half water and half milk 2.5 ounces (2.5 rounded tablespoons) medium-ground oats Pinch of salt

Preparation: Bring the water (or water and milk) to a good rolling boil, preferably in a non-stick pan. Slowly pour the oatmeal into the boiling liquid, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon all the time. Keep stirring until it has returned to the boil again, reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer very gently for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the salt at this point and simmer and stir for a further 5/10 minutes (time depends on the quality of the oats). It should be a thick but pourable consistency. Serve hot in wooden bowls if you have them.” excerpt from The Scottish Cook, Recipes of the People