Oatmeal
Yesterday I made a really big pot of Irish steel cut oatmeal. The long sloooow cooking stuff, not the instant cook for 3-5 minutes kind that is good for oatmeal cookies. Though they are really great oatmeal cookies.
So you bring some water to a rapid boil and then you stir in the oats. These oats look nothing like the ones with the old dude in a hat on the package. They are not flat and pasty white. The steel cut oats are a more of a golden brown colour and they look more like some kind of bird seed. Once you have added the oats you stir alot until the liquid becomes milky and the oats have started to swell. Everything becomes really thick and then you reduce the heat and simmer it for 30 minutes, stirring occassionally. Once they were almost done I added a pinch of kosher salt, a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar, some cinnamon, raisins and little bit of maple syrup. I don’t like my oatmeal too sweet so you should be tasting while doing this. I wanted to add apples, but ours were going soft.
This oatmeal is the best I have ever had. It’s almost like a risotto, the grains of oatmeal are all still individual, but it has this creamy consistancy just like . . . a risotto. I have all kinds of ideas of different oatmeals, you could go tropical, add mangoes and bananas, or all berries, almonds, walnuts and more maple syrup. And probably what will be considered the craziest idea, make a really savoury oatmeal, some sausage, bit of onion maybe.
Because I made such a big pot, I had a lot of left overs. So I have brought some with me and I am eating it at my desk. I popped it in the microwave and it’s still really good. It is less creamy than it was yesterday, but once again my risotto comparison holds, if you have ever microwaved left over risotto, it is never as smooth and creamy as when it is served fresh.
So it looks like I have solved my breakfast at work problem. I will just make up a really big batch of oatmeal every few days. And if you have never tried the steel cut oatmeal I highly reccommend it!
