Feed me! – Steel cut oatmeal redux

Not long after my first post about oatmeal, my Bay Area friend ajh emailed me his favorite steel cut oats recipe. It wasn’t long before I tried it out, and once I knew how good it was, I couldn’t keep it to myself!

This oatmeal is almost decadent. The oats have such a creamy feel in your mouth, and the nutty, toasty flavor of the toasted oats and butter permeates the whole dish. While my overnight oats are puffy, these are much more toothsome. Very satisfying on a cold winter’s morning. I like to add a handful of raisins along with the milk and some walnuts and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon on top at the end, which makes for a hearty, healthy breakfast.

Toasty Steel Cut Oatmeal

Adapted from ajh, in turn adapted from Alton Brown.

Ingredients:

• 1 part steel cut or Scottish oats
• 3 parts water
• butter
• salt
• milk (soy/rice/almond milk would work fine, too)

Directions:

• Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Add oats to pot and toast, stirring often and taking care not to burn the oats.
• Meanwhile, bring water to a boil.
• When oats are nutty brown and fragrant (~5 minutes), add water to pot. Be careful of spattering water.
• Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, ~10-15 minutes.  Do not stir.
• Uncover, add a splash of milk, and cook for ~5 more minutes, stirring occasionally, or until oats are tender.
• Serve.

For all of my crowing about the convenience of getting breakfast started the night before, these oats really aren’t that much more complicated or time consuming than my recipe. The toasting process at the beginning means they cook much faster. And since they cook essentially unattended for several minutes, I can use the time to make my coffee, empty the dishwasher or pack my bag for the day. I’ve used ajh’s recipe more than a few times since he sent it my way, and I’ve always been pleased with the result. I’m happy to have it in my repertoire!

Clacked by Molly B.
on Feb 24, 2009 @ 13:00 EST5EDT