Porridge with quandong, mango and honey-roasted macadamias

This recipe - an entry in the 2021 World Porridge Making Champtionships - shows off some of our amazing native ingredients. The creaminess of the oats is offset by the refreshing sweetness of mango, balanced with the pop of finger lime. Macadamia nuts are encased in a roasted honey toffee praline, providing sweetness and crunchy texture, while native mint gives a freshness.

Credit: Steen Vestergaard

• serves

  2

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

I think that a perfect bowl of porridge needs to have a combination of textures and flavours. I am a recent convert to using my steam oven to cook the oats. This makes them light and fluffy. You can substitute rolled oats in this recipe and cook on the hotplate if you do not have a steam oven. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup groats or rolled oats, see Note
• 3 tbsp (60 ml) macadamia oil, divided
• 2 cups (500 ml) coconut milk
• Pinch Murray River salt flakes
• 40 g dried quandong
• 2 tbsp (40 ml) bush honey, plus extra to drizzle
• 100 g macadamia nuts
• 1 mango cheek, finely sliced
• 1 finger lime, halved
• Native river mint leaves, to garnish
• Coconut yoghurt, to serve

Instructions

1. If using groats, roll the oats, then set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a shallow frypan. Add one cup of oats and gently cook for a few minutes until aromatic.
4. Add coconut milk and a good pinch of salt to season. Stir well.
5. Put the pan into a steam oven, set the temperature to 100°C, steam setting 100% and cook for 15 minutes (see Note if you do not have a steam oven).
6. Place the quandong in a shallow tray with a splash of water. Place the tray in the steam oven alongside the oats.
7. Whilst the oats are cooking, make the honey roasted macadamias. In a small pot, put the remaining tablespoon of oil with two tablespoons of honey. Heat until melted and bubbling. Add the macadamias and toss to coat. Pour onto a lined baking tray and cook in the preheated oven at  for about 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.
8. Carefully remove the oats and steamed quandong and set aside until cool enough to handle. Stir the quandong through the porridge.
9. Remove the roasted nuts from the oven and set aside to cool. Roughly chop.

10. Ladle porridge into a serving bowl.

11. Place the mango on top of the porridge with the chopped macadamias. Squeeze over the finger lime halves to release the citrus pearls.

12. Garnish with mint, drizzle with honey and serve with a spoonful of coconut yoghurt for extra creaminess.

Note

• You can substitute rolled oats in this recipe and cook on the hotplate if you do not have a steam oven. Rolled oats will take less time to cook.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

I think that a perfect bowl of porridge needs to have a combination of textures and flavours. I am a recent convert to using my steam oven to cook the oats. This makes them light and fluffy. You can substitute rolled oats in this recipe and cook on the hotplate if you do not have a steam oven.