SAVOURY MISO PORRIDGE
Sarah Gory
Recipe by Sarah Gory
Across Asia people regularly eat a version of savoury porridge known as congee, which is usually made with rice and topped with anything from shredded chicken to toasted garlic. This dish here is somewhere between traditional British porridge and congee—comforting, nourishing and, thanks to the miso and the mushrooms, with a wonderful umami kick. It is also ideal sharehouse food—easy to prepare in large quantities, and everyone can adjust the toppings to their liking!
Ingredients
Serves 2
½ cup rolled oats
¼ cup pearl barley
¼ cup spelt
1 tablespoon miso
2 teaspoons butter
3 cups water
200 grams button mushrooms
1 tablespoon butter, to cook
2 eggs
Handful of coriander
Pickled ginger
Seaweed sprinkle
1 sheet nori (dry)
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
½ teaspoon chilli flakes
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
Method
Soak the barley and spelt in a cup of water for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
Drain and rinse the spelt and barley and add to a small heavy-bottomed pot along with a cup of water, over a low heat. Cook until the water is almost absorbed, then add the rolled oats and another cup of water. Continue to cook until the water is absorbed.
Add the miso and the 2 teaspoons of butter along with another ½ cup of water. Stir until the miso and butter are completely dissolved, then taste and add a pinch of salt or another ½ cup of water, if needed.
While the porridge is cooking, finely slice the mushrooms. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a saucepan over a medium–high heat, then add the sliced mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are well-browned (approx. 10 minutes). Remove from the heat.
When the porridge is almost ready, poach the eggs. If you don’t have your own poaching method, here is mine—add hot water to a shallow saucepan along with a generous splash of vinegar. Put over a high heat until the water is almost boiling, then gently crack both eggs directly into the water. Give the water a swirl, then let cook for 3 minutes (for the very running egg) or up to 6 minutes (for a firmer york).
Roughly chop the coriander.
Prepare the seaweed sprinkle by adding the nori, sesame seeds, salt and pepper to a mortar and pestle and grind until all combined (it’s okay if there are some larger strips of nori).
Divide the porridge between two shallow bowls. Top each bowl with a poached egg (drain first in a slotted spoon), the mushrooms, a generous lot of coriander, a pinch or two of the seaweed sprinkle, and pickled ginger, to taste. Eat immediately.
