flipOat porridge with lingonberries
Oat porridge with lingonberries
Why this dish? Oat porridge was the morning staple of the Swedish bourgeoisie from which Linnaeus came, both in Råshult and Uppsala. The red lingonberries, omnipresent in the forests of Småland and Lapland he traveled, naturally accompanied this porridge.
A thick and comforting oat porridge, topped with a barely sweetened lingonberry compote. The dish that opened the working days, from naturalist to schoolchild.
See how simple it is: throw a handful of oats into yesterday's water and patiently stir over the fire until the porridge holds to the spoon. At home in Småland, we always crowned the gröt with lingonberries, those small berries that Nature has placed in abundance under the pines — I have noted and classified them with my own hand. Eat hot, your stomach will thank you, and the body holds strong until evening.
- •Oat groats — a large handful per person (nourishing base)
- •Spring water — three times the volume of oats (cooking)
- •Salt — a pinch (seasoning)
- •Lingonberries — one bowl (tart garnish)
- •Honey or sugar — to taste (sweeten the berries)
- •Milk — a splash (optional binder)
Oat porridge with lingonberries
A thick and comforting oat porridge, topped with a barely sweetened lingonberry compote. The dish that opened the working days, from naturalist to schoolchild.
Why this dish? Oat porridge was the morning staple of the Swedish bourgeoisie from which Linnaeus came, both in Råshult and Uppsala. The red lingonberries, omnipresent in the forests of Småland and Lapland he traveled, naturally accompanied this porridge.
See how simple it is: throw a handful of oats into yesterday's water and patiently stir over the fire until the porridge holds to the spoon. At home in Småland, we always crowned the gröt with lingonberries, those small berries that Nature has placed in abundance under the pines — I have noted and classified them with my own hand. Eat hot, your stomach will thank you, and the body holds strong until evening.
Ingredients (period version)
- Oat groats — a large handful per person (nourishing base)
- Spring water — three times the volume of oats (cooking)
- Salt — a pinch (seasoning)
- Lingonberries — one bowl (tart garnish)
- Honey or sugar — to taste (sweeten the berries)
- Milk — a splash (optional binder)
Ingredients
- Rolled oats — 80 g (base)
- Water — 300 ml (cooking)
- Milk — 100 ml (creaminess)
- Salt — 1 pinch (seasoning)
- Fresh lingonberries or cranberries — 150 g (tart compote)
- Sugar — 2 tbsp (sweeten)
Method
- Heat the berries and sugar with 2 tbsp water until you get a barely melting compote (5 min), set aside.
- Pour the oats, water, milk, and salt into a saucepan.
- Bring gently to a simmer while stirring, and let thicken for 5 to 8 minutes until creamy.
- Pour the porridge into a bowl, make a well in the center, and spoon the lingonberry compote into it.
- Serve immediately, very hot.
How it was made : The oats were prepared the night before by soaking them in cold water, then cooked early in the morning over a wood fire. The lingonberries, picked in autumn, kept for months simply covered with cold water, their natural acidity (benzoic acid) protecting them from spoilage — a fact that would not have escaped Linnaeus.
The contemporary twist : Serve in a jar as Nordic-style overnight oats, with a touch of cardamom, the favorite spice of today's Swedish pastries.
Carl von Linnaeus · Charactorium
