Porridge

We have made it to Chapter 3, "Letters From No One" (how exciting)! The next food mentioned is actually used to describe the color of Uncle Vernon's face... but it does appear twelve more times throughout the series. So since since this is the first time it appears, despite its not being eaten, we shall make porridge!

"His [Vernon's] face went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights. And it didn't stop there. Within seconds it was the grayish white of old porridge" (Sorcerer's Stone 35).

As an American child born in the 'eighties, I have never made porridge before. Like many of you, my hot cereal was Oatmeal or Cream of Wheat. And in making this dish today, I learned that I am not very patient when it comes to breakfast! I never did the Instant-Oatmeal thing, but I have definitely been spoiled by Quick-Cooking Oats. Once again, I turn to Dinah Bucholz, and use her recipe for Thick Porridge with Cream and Treacle on page 111 of The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook.

You Will Need:

4 cups water

1 cup Steel-Cut Oats

Milk or Cream, for Serving

Golden Syrup/Treacle, for Serving

1. Bring the water to a boil in a medium sized saucepan.

2. Slowly pour in the oats while stirring constantly.

3. Simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes, until all the water is absorbed (and yes, it really does take at least 30 minutes).

4. Serve with milk or cream and generous amounts of golden syrup. Apparently you shouldn't mix in the treacle or it will lose its caramel flavor.

Enjoy your porridge! But don't read any alarming letters while eating it, or your face might match your breakfast :)