Alt-Grain Porridge With Kimchi and Jammy Eggs

From the kitchen of Carly

Chewy grains cooked down into creamy porridge, finished with butter and Parmesan. Top with tangy kimchi and a jammy egg that bleeds into every spoonful. Savory, salty, deeply satisfying breakfast or lunch that sticks with you.

Alt-Grain Porridge With Kimchi and Jammy Eggs

Chewy alt grains cooked down into something between porridge and risotto, nutty from spelt or barley and salty from Parmesan, then crowned with a runny egg and warm, tangy kimchi. The texture contrast is the whole point, and it hits different for breakfast or lunch. Quick enough to pull off on a weeknight.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 1 cupspelt, wheat berries, or barley
  • 1Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
  • 1 ozParmesan, grated
  • 2 tbspunsalted butter
  • 4 largeeggs
  • 1 tbspvegetable oil
  • 1 cupNapa kimchi

Instructions

  1. Pulse the spelt in a blender or food processor until coarsely chopped, every grain broken open but not reduced to powder. Tip it into a large saucepan with 4 cups of water, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil over medium-high. Drop the heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, until the spelt is tender and the mixture has thickened, 25 to 35 minutes. Whisk in the Parmesan and butter, then splash in water by the tablespoon if the porridge needs loosening.

  2. While the porridge finishes, lower the eggs into a small saucepan of boiling water and cook them for exactly 6 minutes. Fish them out into a bowl of ice water and let them sit just until cool enough to handle. Peel carefully, then slice each egg in half lengthwise.

  3. Set a small skillet over medium with the oil. Add the kimchi and toss it around the pan for about 1 minute, just until it darkens slightly and heats through.

  4. Spoon the porridge into bowls, then layer the kimchi and eggs over the top.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Pulse the grains just enough to crack them open without turning them to flour, this is how you get that toothy, creamy combo. Blitz for 10-15 seconds, then check.
  • Stir the porridge every few minutes so it doesn't stick to the bottom. The constant motion helps it thicken evenly and keeps the grain from scorching.
  • Time your eggs to finish right around when the porridge is done. Six minutes in boiling water gets you that soft, runny yolk that breaks into the grain. Ice water stops the cooking immediately.
  • Warm the kimchi in oil just long enough to take the edge off the raw heat. One minute is plenty, overdo it and you lose the bright ferment flavor that makes this dish work.

Variations

  • Spicy chickpea miso version: stir red miso into the finished porridge and trade the kimchi for crispy chickpeas tossed with chili flake and garlic.
  • Soft herb finish: toss fresh scallions, cilantro, and mint into the warm porridge just before serving, add a squeeze of lime juice.
  • Anchovy and breadcrumb topping: skip the kimchi and top with crispy breadcrumbs fried in anchovy butter instead, keeps the umami going a different direction.

Make ahead and storage

Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days, storing the eggs separately if you want to avoid soggy yolks. Reheat the porridge gently with a splash of water to loosen it back up. The eggs are best served fresh.