Description
This porridge is a mix of buckwheat and two different kinds of oats: groats and flakes. If you’re wondering, groats (sometimes referred to as “berries”) are whole grains that have had the inedible hull removed. Grains in this form are extremely nutritious and give porridge such a satisfying chew. If it’s not pear season, use any other ripe fruit you have on hand; this base works any time of year with all kinds of toppings.
Often, I’ll make the porridge base at the beginning of the week, eat one portion, and then refrigerate the rest to
have breakfast sorted for a few days. I reheat the base with a splash of milk or water, either in the microwave or a saucepan. Easy peasy. And if you ever have leftover sweet porridge, I urge you to make Leftover Porridge Cakes with Cardamom, Skyr, and Crushed Red Berries (recipe in Scandinavian Everyday).
Ingredients
For the Date-Walnut Butter:
- 5 ounces (140 g) dates (preferably Medjool), pitted
- 1 cup (240 g) water
- 1/2 cup (43 g) walnuts
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of kosher salt
For the Crispy Buckwheat:
- 1/2 cup (90 g) buckwheat groats
- 1 teaspoon neutral oil, plus more for greasing
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of kosher salt
For the Porridge Base:
- 1 cup (190 g) oat groats
- 1 cup (105 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon runny honey
- 2 ripe but firm pears (preferably d’Anjou or Bosc), cut in quarters, then into 1/4-inch (6 mm) slices
Instructions
- Make the date-walnut butter. In a small saucepan, combine the dates, water, walnuts, vanilla, and salt. Cover the pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to low and simmer gently until the dates are very soft, about 8 minutes. Pour ½ cup (120 g) of the cooking liquid into a small bowl and keep it close by-you’ll use it to adjust the consistency of the butter. Pour the rest of the contents from the pan into a blender. Blend until completely smooth, adding as much of the reserved liquid as necessary to get things moving around well. The ideal consistency should be similar to that of Greek yogurt. Transfer to a bowl and set aside until the porridge is ready or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days before serving.
- Make the crispy buckwheat. Put the buckwheat groats in a small saucepan and add water to cover by about 1 inch (2.5 cm). Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for 3 minutes. Drain, discarding the cooking water, then rinse the buckwheat briefly with cold water. Spread out on a baking tray to cool. When cool, set aside ¼ cup (38 g) for your porridge base. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly oil a 13 by 18-inch (33 by 46 cm) baking tray. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining cooked buckwheat with the 1 teaspoon oil, the sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Spread out on the prepared tray and bake, rotating the tray and giving it a stir halfway through, until the buckwheat is dry, 30 minutes. (The buckwheat gets crispier as it cools, so don’t look for that as a sign of doneness.) Let cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. The crispy buckwheat can be made in advance and stored at room temperature for at least 1 week.
- Make the porridge. Put the oat groats in a medium saucepan and add water to cover by about 2 inches (5 cm). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to medium and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Pour in the oats and the reserved parboiled buckwheat. Add a touch more water, if necessary, to keep the porridge loose and prevent scorching on the bottom of your pan. Decrease the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes more. Check for doneness by ensuring that the grains are soft and the oat groats are tender in the center but still have a chewy texture. (If you aren’t going to be serving all the porridge at once, prepare it to this point and spread out the amount to be stored on a baking tray to cool quickly. Once cool, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and reheat as needed.)
- To finish the porridge, stir in the salt, butter, and honey and give it a final taste. The aim is to make a porridge that is not overly sweet, has a good balance of salt (without tasting salty), and is ever so comforting to eat, even without the toppings.
- Divide the porridge among four bowls. Arrange the pear slices on top, spoon the date-walnut butter off to one side, and sprinkle the crispy buckwheat on top. Serve immediately.
