KASZA MANNA: SEMOLINA AND HONEY PORRIDGE WITH RASPBERRIES

This is the breakfast of our farmer ancestors. Kasza manna is the name we give to semolina and milk porridge, as well as the grain itself. This is a nutritious breakfast harking back to the olden days, where grains were our main source of carbohydrates. It was also my grandma Ziuta’s breakfast of choice. {Serves 4}

200 g (7 oz/generous 1 cup) semolina

4 tablespoons cold water

400 ml (14 fl oz/1¾ cups) milk

pinch of salt

150 g (5 oz/1¼ cups) raspberries

1 teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar

2–3 tablespoons good-quality honey

Before you cook semolina you need to mix the grains with a tiny bit of cold water to form a smooth paste – if you were to put the grains straight into hot milk you would get clumpy kasza.

Pour the milk into a pan with a pinch of salt and place over a medium heat.

In a separate pan, heat the raspberries and sugar, covered, over a low heat, until the raspberries begin to fall apart and release all of their lovely juices.

Once the milk is close to boiling, start slowly stirring in the semolina paste with a wooden spoon. Turn the heat down and simmer for about 3–4 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the honey, taste and add more if you want it sweeter.

Serve the porridge in a bowl with the syrupy raspberries spooned on top.

This porridge is also delicious when it has set, just chill it in the fridge and serve it once it has cooled.

{Time: 15 minutes}