Charlotte Pemberton
There is something deeply comforting about a bowl of porridge on a grey January morning. It costs pennies, takes five minutes, and sees you through until lunch. But the same bowl day after day can start to feel like a chore, so it helps to have a small repertoire of toppings that turn plain oats into something you actually look forward to. The five below are all built on ingredients that keep well in a British kitchen through the colder months, and every one of them can be made ahead in a batch and spooned out on a dark weekday morning.
Start with a Better Bowl of Porridge
Toppings can only do so much, so it is worth getting the base right first. For one generous bowl, use 50g of rolled or jumbo oats to 300ml of liquid — half milk and half water gives creaminess without heaviness. Add a pinch of salt. It sounds odd, but it lifts the nutty flavour of the oats and stops the whole thing tasting sweet and flat once you pile fruit on top.
Bring it to a gentle simmer on the hob, then stir often for four to five minutes until it thickens and plops rather than bubbles. Take it off the heat and let it sit for two minutes before serving; it will thicken further and cool to an edible temperature. If you prefer a creamier texture, soak the oats in the liquid overnight in the fridge and cook them for just three minutes in the morning. Steel-cut oats need longer, around 20 minutes, but they reward you with a lovely chewy bite.
1. Stewed Apples with Cinnamon
This is the topping that makes porridge feel like pudding. Peel and chop three Bramley apples — they collapse beautifully — or use Coxes if you would rather they held their shape. Put them in a saucepan with a tablespoon of water, a tablespoon of maple syrup and half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, then cook gently with the lid on for eight to ten minutes, stirring now and then, until soft.
A spoonful of butter stirred in at the end adds a lovely richness. The compote keeps for four days in a sealed tub in the fridge, and it is excellent cold straight from the tub on a rushed morning. Finish the bowl with a few toasted walnuts for crunch.
2. Toasted Seeds with Maple
A jar of these sits on our worktop all winter. Mix 100g pumpkin seeds, 50g sunflower seeds and two tablespoons of sesame seeds with a tablespoon of maple syrup, a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of rapeseed oil. Spread them out on a lined tray and bake at 160°C fan for ten to twelve minutes, stirring halfway, until they smell warm and nutty. Watch them closely at the end; seeds go from golden to bitter very quickly.
Cool completely before tipping into a jar, where they will keep for three weeks. Two tablespoons per bowl adds protein, crunch and a faint toffee note without any sugar rush. They are also very good scattered over yogurt or a baked apple.
3. Roasted Rhubarb and Ginger
Forced rhubarb arrives in the shops from late winter, and its sharpness is exactly what creamy oats need. Cut 400g of rhubarb into short lengths and lay it in a single layer in a roasting tin. Add two tablespoons of maple syrup or honey, a thumb of ginger grated finely, and the zest of half an orange. Cover with foil and roast at 180°C fan for fifteen to twenty minutes, until the pieces are tender but still holding together.
Frozen rhubarb works just as well and is far cheaper out of season — just add five extra minutes. The syrup that collects in the tin is the best part, so spoon it over the porridge too. It keeps for a week in the fridge.
4. Frozen Berries with Vanilla
Fresh berries in February are a disappointment and a waste of money. Frozen ones are picked ripe and cost a fraction. Tip 300g of frozen mixed berries into a pan with a tablespoon of maple syrup, a splash of water and half a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Simmer gently for eight to ten minutes until the fruit has broken down and the liquid has thickened slightly.
In a hurry, put a handful of frozen berries in a bowl with a teaspoon of maple syrup and microwave for ninety seconds — it works surprisingly well. The compote keeps for five days and is lovely swirled through the porridge rather than just sitting on top, so every spoonful gets some.
5. Caramelised Banana and Nutmeg
The fastest topping of the lot, ready in four minutes. Slice one banana per person, melt a small knob of butter in a frying pan and fry the slices over a medium heat for two minutes on each side, with a teaspoon of maple syrup and a pinch of salt. They should go golden and slightly sticky at the edges. Grate over a little fresh nutmeg, or use a quarter teaspoon of ground.
A spoonful of Greek yogurt or peanut butter on top turns this into something close to a proper treat. If you have a spare minute, toast a handful of flaked almonds in the same pan afterwards.
Any of these can be doubled or halved without fuss, and they all taste better for a small pinch of salt. Keep two or three in the fridge at any one time, rotate them through the week, and cold British mornings suddenly have something warm waiting for you.
