1 1/2 Cups Pinhead Oatmeal
3 1/2 Cups Water (or alternatives as above)
Generous pinch of Salt
Directions
Put water in heavy bottomed pan and bring to the boil on high heat.
Reduce to medium heat and sprinkle oats on top and stir into water – (doing it this way helps reduce the risk of your porridge getting lumpy). As most people don’t have a Spirtle, using a wooden spoon works just fine! Bring back to the boil over medium heat, stirring continuously.
Then reduce to low heat, cover with lid and let simmer for around 20 – 30 minutes. Add salt and stir into porridge about half-way through. And don’t forget to stir the porridge every few minutes to stop it sticking and prevent lumps. Although tradition says only stir clockwise, stirring in both directions does have advantages in the ‘de-lumping’ process.
In this porridge recipe, the cooking time can be varied a bit, depending on how thick and creamy you want your porridge to be.
Shorter cooking time will make for a thinner porridge with a more chewy texture. Longer cooking will make a thicker, creamier dish. Don’t overdo it though, or you’ll end up with a very ‘stodgy’ meal.
I like my porridge thin enough that it pours slowly from the pan, definitely not watery or ‘gruel’ like. You can sprinkle a little more salt on top if you like (and you don’t have high blood pressure or a controlled diet). The either pour cold milk, or cream, on top to taste.
If you want the whole Scottish experience, try pouring cream into a separate bowl and dip your spoonfuls of porridge into it one at a time. It’ll take longer that way, but is really good!
Useful Tips:

Porridge has a tendency to become ‘lumpy’ very easily, make sure that you stir often enough, and thoroughly enough to prevent that.
Adding the salt too early (some porridge recipes suggest putting all ingredients in the pot at the same time) can make the oats hard/tough.
A heavy stainless-steel pot would be my first choice, but a good quality non-stick is okay if that’s all you have.

And, Mark, a belated hello.

We’ll try to pay attention to these posts better in the future.