Pinhead Porridge with Blackberries

Last bank holiday weekend I dragged myself out of bed at an unsocial hour after a rather late night and headed over to East London for breakfast at the Workshop Coffee Co. in Clerkenwell, which proved to be well worth the effort made on all of our parts. 

The coffee is roasted on site, it was unbelievably good and worth a trip alone. Liv's smashed avocado was a total winner, my unadventurous choice of poached eggs were pleasingly runny, and Tali's Eggs Benedict with Ham Hock and Chipotle sauce was also good - if less photogenic.

 Pinhead Porridge with Blackberries 

When it comes to breakfast, I am a total devotee of porridge, which has deservedly seen a bit of a renaissance in recent years. It is filling and economical and can be made into something really special with a bit of effort.

I usually use jumbo oats, slowly simmered with a mixture of milk and water and a scattering of Demerara or some Agave Nectar. On the weekend though, I made a little more effort with pinhead oat porridge and some blackberry compote. Pinhead oats are cut rather than rolled like most porridge oats and so take a little longer to cook. Take time with this - simmer the oats gently and keep stirring. The resulting bowl of soft, steaming oats, crunchy sugar and cool cream contrasts beautifully with the fruity compote.

For 1

1/2 cup pinhead oats

1 cup water

1/2 cup full fat milk

For the compote

50g or so of blackberries

Sugar, to taste

Squeeze of lemon

To serve

Demerara sugar

Double cream (optional)

Soaking the oats in water overnight reduces cooking time but is not essential. Combine the oats, milk and water in a pan and simmer gently over a low heat, stirring regularly until the porridge reaches your preferred consistency, this can take up to half an hour. If you are lucky enough to have an Aga, put the porridge in the simmering oven overnight. I like my porridge quite runny but reduce the liquid if you prefer it drier and if it dries out too much, add in a little more milk adjusting as you go. Once the oats are soft and amalgamated, turn off the heat and let the porridge sit for about 10 minutes, with the lid on.

While the porridge is cooking, make the blackberry compote by whizzing 1/2 the blackberries in a food processor and putting through a sieve, stir in the sugar and lemon to taste, and combine with the remaining blackberries. If you don't have a food processor to hand, heat the blackberries with a tablespoon of water and some sugar until softened and push through a sieve.

Serve with the blackberry compote, a sprinkling of sugar and, if you're feeling a bit decadent, a swirl of cream. It reheats well so make double the amount if you wish.