The taste of buttered toast and milky tea captured in a bowl of comforting oats. The buttery breadcrumbs give two textures; one soft when cooked in with the oats, and one crunchy as a garnish. Your challenge is to not scoff them all before you get around to making your breakfast.
Preheat your oven to 180⁰C/gas mark. Pop the butter in a roasting tray and slide it into the oven to melt. In the meantime, cut away and discard the crusts from the bread. Tear it into coarse crumbs, about 1-2cm or so. When the butter has melted, throw the torn bread into the tray and mix well so that it soaks up all the butter. Return to the oven for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and crunchy. These can be made in advance and will keep well in an airtight container for a couple of days.
To make the porridge, warm your milk in a medium saucepan until it just reaches a simmer. Turn off the heat and pop in the teabags. Leave for 5 minutes to brew.
Remove the teabags and add the oats along with 30g of the baked breadcrumbs and a small pinch of salt. Return to a gentle heat and cook gently, stirring often, for 8-10 minutes until the oats have plumped up and softened completely. Add a dash more milk for you desired consistency.
Divide the warm porridge between 2 bowls. Garnish with the remaining breadcrumbs and a blob of your chosen preserve.
