The presentation took place at Clashmore Hall, Dornoch on Monday night as Scottish ministers hosted a reception for champions of the Highland-based food and drink industry to announce backing for some of the  events  planned to celebrate Scotland’s reputation as a Land of Food and Drink.
The World Porridge Making Championship, sponsored by Scotland’s leading oatmeal producers, Hamlyns of Scotland and organised under the umbrella of Carrbridge Community Council, is one of  a number of events included in the year long programme.
Scott Bruce, chairman of Carrbridge Commmunity Council commented that with its international following, the World Porridge Making Championship has become one of the best known events on the Scottish food and drink calender.   ”Carrbridge  is at the northern gateway to the Cairngorms National Park, an area steeped in a rich heritage of traditional and contemporary culture and renowned for its  mountain and moorland landscapes,” he said.
“It is also a natural larder providing some of the best local produce with an ever increasing number of restaurant, hotels and other dining establishments making use of the finest home-grown ingredients to create a real taste of the Highlands.”
Mr Bruce added; “As part of the Land of Food and Drink initiative, we will be looking to work with local producers to extend the World Porridge Making Championship to provide a platform for those involved in the local food and drink industry to showcase what the area has to offer.”

The specially commissioned inscribed spurtle was made by Inverness-shire wood turner, Peter Tyler from Dunlichity, Farr. It was presented to Mr Salmond by porridge championship co-ordinator Linda Jolly and Sam Faircliffe, managing director of the award wining Cairngorm Brewery based in Aviemore – one of the local producers who will be offering product tastings at this year’s championship.
The presentation marked the launch of  an invitation to both amateur and professional porridge makers from far and wide to compete in the 17th annual championship to be held in Carrbridge on Sunday October 10.
Entries are invited from professional restaurant and hotel chefs as well as guest house owners, B&B operators and individuals  who believe they can make a first class bowl of porridge.
The title of world porridge making champion and the prestigious Golden Spurtle trophy is awarded to the contender judged to have made the best traditional porridge using oatmeal and water.
As well as the coveted title, the winner of the competition will receive a cash prize of £250.
Contestants are also invited to enter the “speciality porridge” competition for porridge with other ingredients added. The speciality section has a cash prize of £150 while the winner also receives a special trophy named in memory of  legendary four-times world porridge making champion,  the late Duncan Hilditch.
The panel of judges for 2010 is to be headed up by George McIvor  and Colin Bussey of the Master Chefs of Great Britain. They are to be joined by this year’s guest judge, Herald columnist, and best selling author, Tom Shields.
Among those who have already signed up are last year’s Golden Spurtle winner,  Matthew Cox from Bob’s Red Mill in Oregon who will be returning to defend his title against a line up of contenders including fellow American, Patrick Potter, from the Los Angeles based company, Real Foods USA.
Other  confirmed competitors include the 2009 Speciality winner, Anna Louise Batchelor, an environmental researcher from Reading in Berkshire,  Pia Redin winner of the first Nordic Porridge Cooking Competition held in the town of  Sunne in Sweden. David Susans from Fernvilla Guest House, Ballachulish, Nick Barnard from the London based company, Rude Health and Canadian foodie writer and big porridge fan, Catherine Caldwell from Calgary.
The championship, which this year falls on the iconic date 10.10.10, also encompasses World Porridge Day, an international celebration of Scotland’s traditional national dish, with porridge ambassadors across the globe invited to host their own porridge/ oatmeal event to raise money for  Mary’s Meals  – a Scottish based charity which daily feeds more than 400,000 of the poorest and neediest children across the globe.
The porridge making event, supported by Highland Council, starts with a pipe band parade of competitors and judges along the main street of Carrbridge followed by the traditional ‘Toast to the Porridge’.
Other  highlights of the day include local produce and craft stalls, product tastings, street entertainment and live music as well as the Carrbridge Challenge 5km and 3km Forest Run and minis fun run sponsored by RE/MAX Cairngorm with additional fund raising in aid of Mary’s Meals.
More information and entry forms for both the World Porridge Making Championship and Forest Run can be found on the website at www.goldenspurtle.com

Posted 27/07/2010

Photo by Leslie Black

We are pleased to announce Herald columnist and best selling author, Tom Shields as our guest judge for the World Porridge Making Championship 2010. He will join the Golden Spurtle judging panel headed up by George McIvor and Colin Bussey from the Masterchefs of Great Britain. Shields, who is a great porridge fan,  has worked for The Herald/ Sunday Herald for 36 years.
He was a reporter and a minor news desk executive before being let loose on the Herald Diary  where he has been entertaining readers for more than 20 years. His reportage has been described as “inventive” and “of the post-impressionist school”.
Taking advantage of internet and other modern methods of communication, Shields has latterly gone into electronic retreat. He can make up stuff for his columns from anywhere in the world. He is the author of five best-selling compilations of the Tom Shields Diary, still available on Amazon. His latest book is Fifty Ways to Leave Your Liver, a lifestyle guide which also happens to contain a number of references to porridge!
He was given an honorary doctorate by his alma mater Strathclyde University for services to Glasgow humour. Asked how he manages to maintain a prolific output of high quality amusing writing, he says: “It’s all down to hard work and sheer talent. Also, I am committed to ecological journalism and recycle whenever possible.”

This is an athlete’s top choice for a delicious, nutritious meal to start the day – or anytime of day! This porridge recipe is inspired by my grandfather who has porridge every morning religiously. He is a healthy 90 year old, and the doctor’s say he has a heart of a 30year old. All be to the porridge – he’d say!

Prep time ~ 5 minutes. Cooking time ~30 minutes. 1 tablespoon butter .  1/2 cup rolled or cut oats (not quick oats). 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. 1/2 teaspoon salt (we use kosher salt). 1 cup milk (partly skim or whole). 2 tablespoons dark brown or golden brown sugar . 2 tablespoons skim milk powder. 2 tablespoons dried cranberries (or any other dried fruit), finely chopped.1 apple firm, ripe, skin on, cored and chopped. Green, red or yellow apples all work well.

Set up a double boiler with enough water to run for at least 40 min. Melt butter in the double boiler. Add the oats, giving it a couple of stirs to coat evenly. Add the cinnamon, salt, milk, brown sugar and skim milk powder and mix well. Once mixed, add the chopped cranberries and apple and stir until evenly incorporated.
Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally if you can. If you can’t, don’t worry about it as it is almost foolproof. Just give it a few good stirs at the end.
Now go have your shower or pour your coffee or tea and enjoy the morning sunshine. When done, the Porridge should be thick, yet smooth and loose enough not to clump. Give it a taste test to see if the oats have the firmness you want. Pour into bowls and serve. Dark brown or golden brown sugar and milk or cream can be placed on the side along with a cinnamon shaker to add and stir in as desired. Enjoy!
Additional Tips
If time is short, you can skip melting the butter and just add it with the apple and it will take care of itself. This recipe is also very easy to make ahead. Simply take sandwich bags and put all of the ingredients except for the liquid milk, butter and apple into them. We make multiple bags at one time and then put a label on them showing you need to add 1 T butter, 1 cup milk and 1 chopped apple. This allows us to instantly make large or small batches in no time at all. The bags also make an appreciated gift. Dried blueberries, cherries or apricots work well too but they should be added about half way through otherwise they get a bit soft.

2 cups fine or medium pinhead oatmeal. 1 400ml can coconut milk. 1tbsp good Thai red curry paste (not a jar of sauce!) 1 medium onion finely chopped. 1-2 cloves of garlic finely chopped. Handful of coriander leaves, chopped (note the stalks have good flavour but must be very finely chopped. Groundnut oil for frying Optional: a few fresh kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded or, if unavailable, a few whole dried leaves. A few short flat crispy noodles to garnish.

Method: soak the oatmeal for 24hrs in the coconut milk. Fry the onion and garlic gently in the oil until soft, not brown. Add the Thai curry paste and fry gently for a further 2mins.  Add the soaked oatmeal and the lime leaves. Simmer gently for 5 mins. Add some water if the oatmeal is becoming too thick. Add the coriander leaves and simmer for further two mins.  If using, fry a few short flat Thai noodles in some hot oil until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper. Remove dried lime leaves (if used).  Garnish with some whole coriander leaves and the noodles.  Serve as a main course with fragrant Thai rice or noodles, or as a side dish with any Asian style meal.

Ingredients
1.5 cups porridge soaked overnight. 1.5 cups water / 1 vanilla pod, (split lengthways).  Next day, cook
3 cups soaked porridge / 2 cups water / 3 pinches salt. 2 tablespoons caramelized condensed milk, which is achieved by pre-boiling for 4 hours. 1 tot butterscotch liqueur / 2 pieces vanilla tablet, crumbled
Pour into bowls.  Fold in a generous sprinkling of marshmallows. Serve immediately (steaming hot!) with fortiflaxo (oemga 3 fortified flaxo seeds) and double cream. NB.  This recipe works well with any porridge oats so the soaking may not apply to every brand.

1 cup rolled oats. 1 cup plain flour .1 cup coconut .1/2 cup brown sugar .125g butter .1 tbls golden syrup . 1/2 tsp bicarb soda dissolved in 1 tbl sp boiling water

Method Combine oats, flour, coconut and sugar. Melt together butter and golden syrup and stir into dry ingredients. Add bicarb mixture and stir well. Roll into small balls and flatten onto greased trays. Cook in a slow oven for 20 mins till light golden in colour.   Additional Tips. The biscuits will harden as they cool. They should be chewy. Don’t over cook them or they’ll go hard and you will break your teeth on them!