Forget the full English; oats are where it’s at. Here’s how to give your porridge an edge…
What’s your porridge personality? Don’t have one? It’s time you met Alex Hely-Hutchinson, founder of 26 Grains , a Covent Garden café and food company that’s truly pushing the boundaries of porridge. Inspired by the cosy, warming and innovative grain based creations she came across while living in Copenhagen, Alex funded her wholesome wholegrain business via Kickstarter, and has since gone from pop-up to established meeting place of porridge lovers everywhere. Sweet, savoury and always works of art, a bowl of 26 Grains is not only moreishly Instagrammable but also delicious and happily, good for you. If there’s a time to take up a porridge breakfast habit, it’s now; here are Alex’s suggestions for stirring up a stunning porridge serving….
My 5 tips for an amazing bowl of porridge...
Use top quality sea salt
No matter which grains you're using, I find that salt is the best way to bring the liquid and the grains together to make a well rounded bowl of porridge. My favourite sea salt is Halen Mon .
Get your hands on real vanilla
You’ve got to have the real deal. The little flecks of vanilla not only make porridge look amazing and earthy but also taste so much better than any vanilla essence, or even extract.
Make it with homemade nut milk
Nut milks are so easy to make , are a super source of good fats and taste so wonderfully creamy and delicious.
Sweeten up with spices
Instead of reaching for a sweetener, try playing with different spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and ginger.
Add a dash of carrot or beetroot juice
When iron rich foods are combined with foods that are high in vitamin c, they enhance each other's properties. Oats are a particularly high source of iron and carrots and beetroots are a wonderful source of vitamin C. Experiment with using half water, half juice, and maybe throw in a bit of ginger for some heat.
A few festive porridge recipes to try
Porridge sauce
Instead of breadcrumbs, use porridge oats for a deliciously creamy and slightly sweet alternative to bread sauce.
Oat stuffing
Use pinhead oats to make your stuffing for full-on taste and texture.
Porridge with a mince pie topping
Spices, currents and maple...AKA Christmas in a bowl.
Apple, beetroot and cranberry compote
This combination is a Christmas favourite at the shop.
Porridge: love it or hate it? How do you take yours? Comment or below or let us know on Twitter @GetTheGloss
Whet your appetite by following 26 Grains on Instagram
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