Sunday Independent (Ireland)

Porridge with pears, pecans and cinnamon

Serves 2

For the poached pears, you will need:

● 75g caster or granulated sugar

● 70ml water

● 1 pear

For the porridge, you will need: ● 100g rolled oats

● 300-400ml water

● Pinch of salt

For the topping, you will need: ● 25g pecans

● 1 generous teaspoon honey

● A pinch of ground cinnamon

1

First, place the caster or granulated sugar, whichever you’re using, into a saucepan with the water and place over a low heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then once the liquid is clear and the sugar is dissolved, bring it up to the boil over a high heat and boil for 2 minutes.

2

While the syrup is boiling, peel the pear and cut in half. Cut the core out neatly and place the pear halves in the syrup, then cover and boil for 10-20 minutes, until the pear is translucen­t and tender. Take off the heat and set aside.

3

Next, get the porridge on to cook. Place the oats in a saucepan with 300ml of the water and the pinch of salt. Turn the heat on under the saucepan to low and cook the oats, stirring regularly for 5-6 minutes until the porridge is the consistenc­y you’re looking for. You may need to add some or all of the remaining water if it’s a bit thick. Set aside.

4

While the porridge is cooking, toast the pecans by placing them in a dry frying pan over a medium to high heat and cook, tossing regularly, until they’ve turned a few shades darker. Take off the pan and set aside.

5

To serve, pour the porridge into 2 warm bowls, place a pear segment over the top, then drizzle with the honey, add a pinch of cinnamon, and finally scatter the toasted pecans over the top. ●