Cornmeal Porridge | No Lumps Allowed
An iconic Jamaican breakfast staple. Break out the elbow grease and stir out the lumps. Silky smooth, heavily spiced, eternally drinkable.
Equipment
- 1 large pot
- 1 medium bowl
- 1 spice grater
- 1 ladle
- 1 Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- 1 cup cornmeal (250 g)
- 6 cups water 1.5 L
- 2 cinnamon sticks (30 g)
- 4 cinnamon leaves (10 g)
- 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (4 g)
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder (4 g)
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract (15 mL)
- 1 tsp almond extract (4 mL) (optional)
- 1 tsp pimento (Jamaican all-spice) (4 g)
- 1 tsp ground cloves (4 g)
Instructions
Preparation
- Assemble all ingredients and equipment. (10 min)
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot filled with 4 cups of water (1 L) to boil. (4-10 min)
Porridge Assembly
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix 1 cup cornmeal (250 g) and 2 cups of cold water (500 mL) with a wooden spoon into a thick yellow slurry.
- Scrape the cornmeal slurry into the boiling water and stir, Reduce the heat to a simmer.
- As the cornmeal simmers, add your flavourings: 2 cinnamon sticks (30 g), 4 cinnamon leaves,1 tsp nutmeg (4 g), 1 tsp cinnamon powder (4 g), 1 tbsp vanilla extract (15 mL), 1 tsp almond extract (15 mL), 1 tsp pimento (Jamaican allspice) (4 g), and 1 tsp ground cloves (4 g).
- To ensure minimal lumps, stir the porridge slowly over simmering heat for 40 mins until the cornmeal has visibly swelled and thickened in consistency.
Service
- Serve immediately. Optionally, adding 1/3 cup of milk and 2 tsp sugar or similar sweetener will delightfully accent the warm spices of the porridge. Enjoy heartily!