Oat Cuisine

No winter morning begins in our house without a bowl of porridge, enjoyed with Irish honey and a good splash of full cream milk - we make the porridge overnight, cooked on Low in an electric slow cooker (1 cup porridge to 3 of water, plus a good pinch of salt). It’s completely effortless, convenient for schoolchildren in a hurry and handy too if several people need to eat at different times.

Porridge is the perfect health breakfast, providing warmth and slow-release energy throughout the morning – ideal for school children, and just about anyone really, especially if taken with a glass of fresh orange juice.

This is the perfect partner for porridge oats at breakfast, according to nutritionists, because the vitamin C in the juice helps the body to absorb the iron in oats. And – good news for dieters - breakfast eaters are less likely to be overweight, as it is less likely that you will snack on high calorie foods mid-morning or over-eat at lunchtime.

There are plenty of oats to choose from, but we like to support Irish products, and Flahavans is the one we’ve used for ages – either the flaked oats or pinhead (which needs proportionately more water than the flaked oats).

This family-run business has been operating in Kilmacthomas, Co Waterford for over 200 years, spanning six generations, making it one of Ireland's longest-running family businesses. All of their standard oats are produced in Ireland, and they’re actively encouraging more Irish organic oat production to meet demand.

Over a million servings of Flahavan's porridge are consumed nationwide each week, so I’m told, and it is available in a variety of options including Progress, Organic and Real Fruit Porridge ranges and the convenient Quick Oats range, available in single serving pots, drum and the microwaveable sachets.

If overnight cooking doesn’t suit you, this quick 3-MINUTE PORRIDGE for 2 can be prepared on the hob or in the microwave. [Tip: Cooking time can be reduced by soaking the oats in the water overnight.]

Conventional Method: In a saucepan, stir 1 cup Flahavan’s Progress Oatlets into 2.5 cupfuls cold water/milk or mix of both.
Bring to the boil and cook briskly for 3 minutes. Flavour as desired and serve.

Microwave Method: In a deep bowl, stir 1 cup Flahavan’s Progress Oatlets into 2 cups of water. Place in microwave, but do not cover; cook on High for 2.5 - 3 minutes. The cooking time will depend on the power of the microwave (2.5 mins for 800w or 3 mins for 650w). Leave to stand for 1 minute, stir and serve.

This winter Flahavan’s invited Kevin Dundon, celebrated proprietor chef of Dunbrody House Hotel, Arthurstown, Co Wexford to devise a ‘menu’ of Irish oat recipes, and these are the tempting ideas he came up with:

Flahavan’s Creamy Porridge with Flambéed Plums, Orange Syrup & Crème Fraîche

Duncannon Fisherman’s Pie with Crumble Topping

Beef Casserole with Oatmeal Dumplings

Mixed Fruit Granola

Deep Filled Apple & Cranberry Crumble Pie