Rye Bread Porridge with Hazelnuts and Herbs
SERVES 4
We were making some adjustments to the rye bread recipe at Destroyer, so I had a half loaf in my fridge. One night after getting home, I wanted something warm and comforting but had only goat butter, rye bread, and some marionberry jam in my fridge. I crumbled the rye bread into a pot with some foaming brown butter and cooked it for a few minutes until it became toasted. Then I added some water, milk, and a beer I had in my cupboard leftover from a dinner party I had years ago, and cooked it down like a risotto. I finished it with goat butter and some dried thyme. I ate it with a spoonful of the marionberry jam and a dollop of goat butter on top. It was better than any porridge I’ve ever had because of the complexity of the bread’s flavor.
⅓ cup hazelnuts
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Icelandic rye bread, torn into small pieces (2 cups) (see recipe here)
1 cup beer
2 cups organic whole milk
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons brown butter (see Note)
2 tablespoons fresh herbs
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the hazelnuts on an oven pan. Toast them for 6 minutes. Let cool and then chop coarsely.
Melt half of the unsalted butter in a large wide pot over medium heat until foamy and light brown. Add the bread and stir for 3 to 4 minutes over low heat until toasted. Add the beer and stir until incorporated. Add the milk and stir until incorporated.
Simmer over low heat, stirring often, until the porridge is creamy and loose but not wet, like the consistency of risotto. Add the salt, then vigorously stir in the remaining unsalted butter, cream cheese, and brown butter.
Divide the porridge among four bowls and serve warm with the hazelnuts and fresh herbs, or whatever sweet or savory topping you choose, such as marmalade, syrup, bacon, a fried egg, aged cheese, roasted mushrooms, or grilled onions.
Note: To make brown butter, place ½ pound of unsalted butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Once the butter is completely melted and begins to boil, use a whisk to stir it constantly. After several minutes, the liquid evaporates, and the remaining butterfat toasts and becomes fragrant. When the butter begins to foam and increase in volume, take it off the stove and allow it to cool to room temperature.