Barley Porridge with Hazelnuts and Honey
A creamy barley porridge sweetened with honey, scattered with toasted crushed hazelnuts and apple pieces. Sweet, comforting, it is the porridge of Celtic ancestors.
A creamy barley porridge sweetened with honey, scattered with toasted crushed hazelnuts and apple pieces. Sweet, comforting, it is the porridge of Celtic ancestors.
You think I only love great feasts of meat? Think again. In the morning, put a handful of barley to swell in milk, stir patiently near the fire until it thickens, and throw in the hazelnuts my squirrels have left you and the honey of my bees. It is the food of the little ones, and it is mine as well: for abundance is first having a full belly every day.
- •Crushed barley — a handful per mouth (staple cereal)
- •Milk — enough to cover (creamy cooking)
- •Hazelnuts — a good handful (forest fruit, crunch)
- •Honey — as desired (sweetness)
- •Wild apples — a few (fruit, mild acidity)
Barley Porridge with Hazelnuts and Honey
A creamy barley porridge sweetened with honey, scattered with toasted crushed hazelnuts and apple pieces. Sweet, comforting, it is the porridge of Celtic ancestors.
Why this dish? Cernunnos is also the god of the abundance of harvests and forest fruits. This everyday porridge brings together grain from the fields, hazelnuts gathered under the trees, and honey — the simple, nourishing wealth that the horned god grows for the humble and the kings alike.
You think I only love great feasts of meat? Think again. In the morning, put a handful of barley to swell in milk, stir patiently near the fire until it thickens, and throw in the hazelnuts my squirrels have left you and the honey of my bees. It is the food of the little ones, and it is mine as well: for abundance is first having a full belly every day.
Ingredients (period version)
- Crushed barley — a handful per mouth (staple cereal)
- Milk — enough to cover (creamy cooking)
- Hazelnuts — a good handful (forest fruit, crunch)
- Honey — as desired (sweetness)
- Wild apples — a few (fruit, mild acidity)
Ingredients
- Barley flakes or grits — 120 g (base)
- Milk (or milk + water) — 600 ml (cooking liquid)
- Hazelnuts — 60 g (toasted garnish)
- Honey — 2 tbsp (sweetener)
- Apple — 1 (fruit)
Method
- Toast the hazelnuts dry for a few minutes, then roughly crush them.
- Pour the barley into cold milk, bring to a simmer and cook over low heat, stirring, 15 to 25 minutes depending on the grind, until creamy.
- Cut the apple into small dice (raw or sautéed for one minute).
- Serve the porridge very hot, drizzled with honey, sprinkled with hazelnuts and apple.
- For the old-time version, replace part of the milk with water and add a pinch of salt.
How it was made : Barley was the dominant cereal in pre-Roman Gaul, consumed as flatbreads and especially as porridges cooked in water or milk — much more common than leavened bread. Excavations show significant consumption of hazelnuts and wild apples, gathered in abundance. It was the everyday fare of households, from peasant to warrior.
The contemporary twist : Serve in a bowl with a drizzle of warm honey, whole toasted hazelnuts, and a thin slice of dried apple — a Celtic porridge worthy of a brunch.
Sources : Strabo, Geography, Book IV (agricultural products of Gaul) · Matthieu Poux, Les Gaulois à table (archaeological synthesis of Gaulish food)
Cernunnos · Charactorium