Toby Wilson has not one spurtle But five. The collection of his traditional Scottish porridge-making tools includes one that he bought from a gift shop in a museum as well as one that a friend’s mom created, and the remaining of his prized possessions were made by him when he was an official finalist in the 2022 world championships in porridge-making.
“As a contestant I got a special one that’s branded with fire,” Wilson says. Wilson was the sole Australian to be in the top six of the competition in that year. “In a world of whatever the fuck is going on, it’s pretty nice to think of being in a tiny village in Scotland on a river, cooking some old-fashioned oats.”
The world championships for porridge-making will mark the 30th anniversary of the event. The event is held at Carrbridge, located in the Scottish Highlands; the competition is both fierce and humble, intelligent but also self-aware.
Contestants arrive throughout the world for the opening parade that will take place through town and a show by local elementary school students (they perform an oats-themed song). The contestants, on the other hand, “are having a good time and having a laugh … but at the same time, are super-focused and everyone works super hard on trying to take home the golden spurtle,” Wilson says. Wilson. The porridge is the main event and not a way to sell the nuts, bananas, berries, and honey.
To prepare the chef, the Sydney chef prepared a variety of porridge bowls, all with strict adherence to the rules of the competition that stipulated that no rolled oats, milk, or other accouterments can be used for”traditional porridge. “traditional porridge” category – only water untreated oatmeal and salt. This method – as well as eating the porridge – changed Wilson from a simple oataphile into the purest of porridge.
“My porridge palate developed a new kind of nuance,” he states. “I oscillated between: ‘This is so boring’, and then having these little aha moments of: ‘Oh my God, it’s like the best bowl of porridge I’ve ever had.'”
However, a bowl of oatmeal doesn’t require the use of a Highland village or an oat spurtle. Wilson states that anyone can cook porridge as well as the top athletes do.
The ingredients
Please get rid of the rolled oats and quickly cook them. “They’re just so much flatter in flavor,” Wilson says. Wilson.
Wilson utilizes whole-oat Groats (the kernels that are hulled from the Oat grain) and stone-grinds them in the commercial mill (designed to wet-mill maize to remove the nixtamalization process to make tortillas and was purchased as a kitchen gadget for his job as a manager of his taco restaurant Ricos Tacos).
For those who aren’t milled, store-bought steel-cut oats make a great alternative (and well-known as the favorite of the former New South Wales premier Bob Carr). They require more time for cooking than rolling oats; however, soaking them overnight will make the process faster. “You can still have your breakfast in 10 minutes,” Wilson claims. Wilson. “It won’t be 30 seconds, but it’ll be quick and … much better.”
To compete, Wilson used “Scottish mineral water from the mountains”; however, filtered water can work. “Tap water can mute some of the flavour, but also it’s not a huge deal.”
Make sure to include salt. Like all food items, sweet or savory salt can add flavor and depth. With only three ingredients, it’s essential. “The porridge [is] the show itself, not a vehicle for bananas, nuts, berries, honey, all that kind of stuff.”
For a single serving, Wilson adds about a teaspoon of salt. “I like it like pretty salty … the flavour of going for a run and the sweat falls into your mouth.”
The procedure
Golden ratio: one portion of oats for three water parts. In all his meticulous methods, Wilson happily plays it loose with measuring vessels. “I make use of everything I can find. A teacup? Cool. It’s a teacup made of oats and three cups of tea.”
He puts all the ingredients – oats, water, er, and salt in the pot all at once while cooking on a medium flame on the stovetop. “A lot of people think that if you throw salt in too early, the oats don’t cook properly, which is untrue,” He declares.
Once the porridge is at an extreme temperature, the temperature is reduced to the level of a “gentle blip” so the bubbles do not break off the surface. After that, he stirs the porridge using the spurtle, but that a wooden spoon can work just as well. Purists start their porridge clockwise “to keep away the bad spirits,” he claims. (Whether spirits require counter-clockwise movements to the south is an idea that he has yet to test.)
The texture
Oats should be cooked al dente or through with a slight bite. Sometimes, the porridge may become too thick prior to the oats have been properly filled and hydrated. Therefore, you can add more water, as is the advice of Wilson. The process should last between 10 to 15 minutes.
The texture will be a matter of individual preference. “Some people like it soupy,” Wilson says. Wilson Some prefer to turn the bowl on its side, “and the porridge doesn’t fall out.”
To serve
Wilson loves topping the porridge with a pat of utter and sprinkles of brown sugar. “It’s creamy and salty and buttery and chewy – all the nice things,” Wilson says.
If you’re used to the flavor of porridge made with milk, it is suggested to have one small bowl of cold cream to serve alongside. Pour your warm porridge into the cream, spoonful by the spoonful, for a delicious cold-hot contrast.
