Put the oatmeal and water into a pan. Some people like to leave the oatmeal to soak overnight, but this really isn’t necessary.
Stir over a medium heat until the porridge thickens and boils, then reduce the heat to a simmer and keep stirring. The porridge will be cooked in 3 or 4 minutes.
Some like thick porridge, others creamy smooth, and you can adjust the consistency just by adding a little water. You can also make porridge using half milk and half water – it’s really up to you.
Add 1g (a very small pinch) sea salt just before serving to enhance the nutty flavour of the oatmeal.
Porridge was traditionally served in a bowl with a bowl of creamy milk alongside – first dipping the spoon into the hot porridge then into the cold milk.
It is traditional to stir porridge with a stick known as a Spurtle or Theevil which is best for getting into the corners of the pan and avoiding lumps. Lumps of uncooked oatmeal were called ‘knotty tams’ and some people liked to leave them in their porridge. A belief stemming from the Druids is that luck is found stirring porridge clockwise (deiseal) following the sun. Stirring in an anticlockwise direction, or widdershins, was considered to bring bad luck.
