Ingredients
Base
- 150 gmillet flour
- 400 mlcold water, for the slurry
- 800 mlwater, to boil
To finish
- 400 mlmilk, fresh or evaporated
- 100 gsugar, or to taste
- 3 tbspground roasted peanuts
- a pinch of salt
Sometimes
- a squeeze of lemon
- a little grated ginger
- tamarind, for a sour version
To serve
- hot at dawn, or to break the Ramadan fast
Directions
- Whisk the millet flour into the cold water until completely smooth before any heat is involved. Never add dry flour to hot liquid, which seizes into lumps that no amount of whisking will break up.
- Whisk it thoroughly and then pass it through a sieve. That sieving takes a minute and it is the difference between a smooth porridge and a lumpy one. Stir the slurry again immediately before use, since millet flour settles heavily within a minute. Bring the remaining water to a rolling boil. Pour the slurry in slowly while whisking constantly.
- Whisk without stopping as it goes in, since the mixture thickens unevenly and lumps form in seconds. Keep the water boiling as you pour, which cooks the starch immediately.
- Cook it over a medium heat for fifteen to twenty minutes, stirring constantly. Millet needs real cooking time to lose its raw, chalky taste, and undercooked bouillie is unpleasant.
- Take the pot off the boil before adding the milk. Stir in the milk and warm it through gently without boiling. Add sugar to taste, which is usually a generous amount since this is taken for energy. Roast and grind them fresh if you can, since the flavour is far better. Add a pinch of salt even though the porridge is sweet.
- Salt sharpens the sweetness and brings out the millet flavour, and without it the porridge tastes flat. Some households add tamarind or lemon for a sour bouillie, which is refreshing in hot weather.
- Serve it hot in a cup or a bowl, and it is drunk rather than spooned. It keeps a day refrigerated and sets almost solid when cold. Warm it gently with extra milk or water to loosen it back to a drinkable consistency.
Technique
- The flour must be mixed into cold water before it meets heat.
- It is deliberately thin and drunk from a cup rather than spooned.
- A fermented sour version is the more traditional in much of the Sahel.
Substitutions
- Sorghum or maize flour in place of millet.
- Evaporated milk in place of fresh.
Variations
- Fermented, for the sour traditional version.
- With tamarind, as a sour hot-weather drink.
- Made without peanut, for anyone allergic.
History
A thin millet gruel eaten at dawn with milk and sugar, and used to break the Ramadan fast; it is also the first food given to young children.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bouillie?
Bouillie is a breakfast from Chad: hot millet porridge with milk, sugar and peanut. A thin millet gruel eaten at dawn with milk and sugar, and used to break the Ramadan fast; it is also the first food given to young children.
How long does Bouillie take to make?
Bouillie takes 10 min of preparation and 25 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Bouillie?
Yes, within limits. Sorghum or maize flour in place of millet. Evaporated milk in place of fresh.
What is the most important thing to get right in Bouillie?
Whisk the millet flour into the cold water until completely smooth before any heat is involved. Never add dry flour to hot liquid, which seizes into lumps that no amount of whisking will break up.
