Seven-grain breakfast porridge with granola & salted prune butterscotch sauce

Ingredients (serves 4 to 6)

Granola

• 40 g oats
• 40 g sunflower seeds
• 25 g linseeds
• 25 g chopped almonds with skins on
• 1 tbsp poppyseeds
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp canola oil

Salted prune butterscotch sauce

• 150 g white sugar
• 50 ml water
• 100 g Australian pitted prunes (soak in 250mls water)
• 150 g diced butter
• 80 ml cream
• Sea salt to taste

Porridge

• 20 g polenta
• 20 g buckwheat
• 20 g black quinoa
• 20 g white quinoa
• 20 g amaranth
• 20 g millet
• 30 g oats
• 500 ml milk
• 500 ml water
• Pinch of salt

Method

Make your granola first to allow it to cook and cool. It can be stored in an airtight container in the cupboard and used when needed.
Preheat oven to 180°C.

Mix all granola ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl. Line a flat oven tray with baking paper and spread out mixture evenly.

Bake on bottom shelf of oven for up to 15 mins until golden. The mixture will keep cooking so make sure not to take it too dark in the oven before allowing to cool.

Next make the butterscotch sauce. In a medium saucepan, mix sugar and water together and cook on medium heat. Cook sugar in a saucepan until it starts to become golden brown around edges. Carefully swirl pan and add in diced butter then cream. Whisk carefully until boiled and smooth.

Strain prunes from their soaking water, reserving the liquid. Add the liquid to the sugar mixture first. Then add the prunes and bring to boil.

Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 mins before blending until smooth, adding salt to taste.

Now make your porridge. To save time, this can be made in larger quantities and stored in a dry container in the cupboard with small amounts taken to boil with milk when needed.

Mix all dry porridge ingredients in large saucepan.

Stir in water, salt and milk.

Cook on low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture becomes thick and creamy – this should take approximately 10 minutes (add more milk if a creamier texture is preferred).

Serve into bowls, and top with granola, then a generous spoonful of créme fraiche or yoghurt, and drizzle with butterscotch sauce as desired.

Recipe: Nick Gardner (@the_social_cook)

Styling: Lisa Madigan

Photographs: Lean Timms