Irish Champ Porridge
English
Chapter 3: The Food Mom Made When I Was Sick (Invalid Cookery and Healing Bowls)
When the world outside is harsh and the body requires repair, few things heal the spirit quite like a warm bowl of carbs and butter. This dish marries traditional Irish champ with savory steel-cut oats, creating a restorative, risotto-like porridge that asks nothing of the weary eater but to sit and be comforted. Fortified with savory broth, steeped in sweet scallion milk, and crowned with a melting pool of salted butter, it is an unapologetic, deeply soothing bowl for the days you need it most.
Before you start
Trim the scallions and separate the firm white and light green parts from the hollow dark green tops.
Finely chop both sections, keeping the white and light green parts in a separate pile from the dark green tops.
Ingredients
- unsalted butter1 tablespoon
- steel cut oats1 cup
- low sodium chicken or vegetable broth3 cups
- whole milk1 cup
- scallions1 large bunch
- kosher salt1/2 teaspoon
- freshly ground black pepper1/4 teaspoon
- salted Irish butter4 tablespoons
Method
- 01
Melt the unsalted butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.
Add the steel-cut oats and stir continuously for about 2 minutes, until they smell warmly nutty and are beautifully toasted.
- 02
Carefully pour the broth into the saucepan along with the kosher salt and bring to a rolling boil.
Immediately reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the oats simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the bottom from scorching, until the oats are tender but still retain a pleasant pop.
- 03
Simmer the whole milk and the chopped white and light green scallions in a small saucepan over medium low heat.
Bring just to a gentle simmer—do not let it boil over—and let it bubble at the edges for 3 to 4 minutes to soften the onions. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
- 04
Pour the hot scallion milk directly into the cooked porridge and stir vigorously for two minutes over low heat.
The mixture will thicken back up into a luxurious, risotto-like consistency. Stir in half of the reserved dark green scallion tops, season with black pepper, and adjust the salt to taste.
- 05
Ladle the steaming porridge into deep bowls and press a small indentation into the center of each serving.
Place a tablespoon of salted Irish butter into each well, allowing it to melt into a golden pool, and garnish with the remaining dark green scallions.
Notes
Soak the oats overnight in hot broth for a faster cooking time.
Boil the broth the night before, add the oats, boil for one minute, then cover and leave overnight. In the morning, the porridge will only require ten minutes of gentle reheating.
Add a poached or soft boiled egg directly over the butter well.
The rich yolk and added protein turn a simple sick-day bowl into a sustaining, hearty dinner.
Substitute unsweetened plant milk and vegan butter for dairy sensitivities.
Oat milk works perfectly here, while a drizzle of high-quality extra-virgin olive oil can substitute for the traditional butter well.
From The Irish American Table.