Porridge is one of the most homely and comforting of dishes, and the discovery of savoury porridge takes it to a whole new level, making those oats something that can be enjoyed all day long. Inspired by both Heston Blumental’s snail porridge and Dan Barber’s “rotation risotto”, which I developed for his WastED pop-up at Selfridges in 2017, this particular savoury porridge even gained some notoriety after it featured in Private Eye’s Pseuds Corner that same year. The latter was a fun, fine-dining dish but, at its heart, the recipe is very simple and satisfying; it works brilliantly, too.
Cheesy mushroom porridge
At its heart, porridge is, of course, the humblest of dishes. It’s usually eaten for breakfast, perhaps sweetened with honey and molasses, but it works very well as a savoury meal. Think risotto: when cooked for long enough, oats release their starch and turn very creamy, making them a great vehicle for delicious savoury flavours, especially cheese.
As a plant grows, it draws vital nutrients from the soil, which need replenishing to maintain its fertility. This can be achieved through the use of compost, fertilisers and a careful annual rotation of crops. By alternating between cash crops, less profitable varieties and “green manure” – that is, plants cultivated to protect and nourish the soil – you can preserve the soil’s health and productivity for future harvests (for instance, in organic farming, spelt or wheat is commonly rotated with rye and clover to sustain nutrient levels and support soil regeneration). To demonstrate the crop rotation system on a plate, when I first made this dish for WastED, I used a mixture of rye, oats and clover; a vegan version of the dish also features in my book Eating for Pleasure, People & Planet.
Here, however, I’ve used a combination of celeriac and jerusalem artichoke, not least for their rich depth of flavour, but it works just fine without – or with a different root vegetable altogether, such as parsnip, potato or turnip. The recipe calls for only a small amount of root veg, so if you have a big celeriac or bag of jerusalem artichokes to use up, consider roasting the rest in wedges or turn them into a delicious soup or mash. And remember, there’s no need to peel jerusalem artichokes or celeriac; their skins are delicious and perfectly fine to eat, so just clean them well around their knotty roots and cut out or wash off any soil.
Serves 4 as a main course
100g butter
120g celeriac and/or jerusalem artichokes, cleaned and finely diced
1 large flat mushroom, finely diced
50g dark leek tops, washed and finely sliced
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
400g rolled oats and/or flaked rye or flaked spelt (a mixture is also nice, if possible)
1-1½ litres vegetable stock, or chicken stock or boiling water
50-100g parmesan rind, or cheddar rind
Celery salt, or sea salt, and black pepper
50g cheese ends (eg, cheddar, blue, brie, parmesan etc), grated, plus extra to garnish
2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, to serve (optional)
Melt half the butter in a heavy-based saucepan on a low-medium heat. Add the diced celeriac and/or jerusalem artichokes, the mushroom, leek tops and garlic, and saute gently for five minutes, stirring all the while.
Stir in the rolled oats, then add a litre of hot stock (or boiling water), and the cheese rind. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook, stirring regularly, for 15 minutes, or until the porridge thickens to a sticky but still loose consistency; add more stock or boiling water to loosen, if need be.
Finish by stirring in the remaining butter and grated cheese ends, then season well with celery or sea salt and black pepper, to taste. Ladle into shallow, wide bowls and garnish with flat-leaf parsley sprigs, including their finely chopped stalks. Serve topped with more grated cheese, if you like.
