I must admit to being somewhat of an 'iconoclast' when it comes to porridge.
I prefer the "Quick Oats" - probably because I have to make them between dropping off the 'hugs and kisses' at the railway station then coming back to my porridge and then wallop that down before dropping our autistic son at high school (MUST be at the correct time or everyone cops hell for the rest of the day).
So my preferred method is to get the proportons correct, boil it uyp until it's JUST right and then drop in two or three dessert spoons of "Ironbark Honey" - this is honey derived from bees that collect primarily from Ironbark Trees (Eucalyptus sideroxylon).
My dad grew up on a steady (and monotonously regular (like EVERY day) diet of porridge served by his VERY dour mother in Bonnyrigg / Lasswade - just south of Edinburgh - and it was made with salt. To this day if you want to see an arthritic 83-year-old run a quarter mile faster than Jesse Owens (or Asafa Powell) just offer him a bowl of porridge - - - DETESTS the stuff.
Gotta respond to John Giok:
His recipe was thus - 1½ ozs, Oatmeal of Afford, 6½ ozs [by weight] of mixed milk and water, 1 generous pinch of salt. Bring to the boil stirring constantly, allow to simmer slowly for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour out into a bowl, and add fresh cold real milk {not milk which has been buggered about with, and had all the goodness taken out in the process] ENJOY.
Hate to say this John, but that was dad's mum's recipe too - it was also the recipe stipulated by the new cookhouse warder at Fremantle Gaol about 70-80 years ago or so. Instead of the Golden Syrup poured in as they were used to, the new guy STIPULATED that porridge "HAD tae be made wi' lashin's ae salt - or it jist wasnae PORRIDGE!!!"
Unfortunately, the prisoners despised it as much as my dad evidently does and there was a riot. As a result, the cookhouse head warders first day on the job was also his last!