Its Time for Opulent Oatmeal
It’s Time For Opulent Oatmeal
When the temperature level drops and leaving the womblike bed in the morning ends up being much more of an obstacle, I utilize breakfast as a kind of bribery. In some cases its a sesame bagel with a smear of scallion cream cheese from the bodega on my corner; less regularly, its homemade pancakes, heavy on the chocolate chips. The majority of frequently, though, its oatmeal. I understand what youre thinking: dull!.
I blame those dirty packets of instantaneous oats for providing oatmeal a rep as a bad diet plan food. The comfortable kitchen staple is a blank canvas pleading to be gilded with the full force of your refrigerator– from miso-glazed mushrooms to a generous drizzle of tahini thinned out with maple syrup.
Great oatmeal begins with the right oats– steel-cut, to be specific. Steel-cut oats– youve definitely become aware of them– are pieces of the entire oat plant with only the inedible hull removed, sliced to allow the starch to essentially merge the cooking liquid. An approximately 30-minute simmer in enough water to cover the oats melts the small pellets into an ultracreamy, creamy porridge without the requirement of any milk. Its perfect for lazy brunches, however not great for Monday early mornings. This need not hold you back.
The comfortable pantry staple is a blank canvas begging to be gilded with the full blast of your refrigerator.
I didnt get on board with this cooking method until Christina Chaey shared her make-ahead method with Bon Appétit in September 2020. She pointed out that cooked steel-cut oatmeal keeps for days in the fridge, and can then be easily warmed and loosened up on the stove or in the microwave with a splash of water or your preferred milk. Now, when I have the planning, I make a huge pot of oatmeal on Sunday for breakfast, then Im set with the base to take in various taste directions throughout the week.
With prepared oatmeal equipped in the fridge, I turn my attention to toppings. My perfect oatmeal always has a velvety part (nut butter, tahini, whipping cream), something fruity (golden raisins, sliced apples, whatever flavor of Bonne Maman jam is on my refrigerator door), and a shower of seedy sprays (toasted coconut, buckwheat groats, sesame seeds). A pinch of brown sugar is mandatory, however my best bowls dont stop there with the luxe touches..
Consuming Los Angeles chef Minh Phans slushy, congee-like mushroom porridge at Porridge and Puffs– a fantastic dining establishment currently on hiatus but arranged to resume this winter season– motivated me to include miso and chile to the mix to skew things savory. Ive taken a page from the playbook of West Taghkanic Diner in Upstate New York and soaked bags of Earl Grey into my original cooking liquid for a delicate tea flavor (and a caffeine boost). And recently, Im stirring steamed-then-mashed sweet potatoes into the porridge for extra sweet taste and heft.
Its all oatmeal, unrestrained by flavor profiles or healthful ambitions. The principles to making it opulent is easy: Let your cravings and your kitchen contents lead, and deliciousness will follow.
It’s Time For Opulent Oatmeal
I blame those dusty packages of instantaneous oats for providing oatmeal an associate as a bad diet food. She pointed out that prepared steel-cut oatmeal keeps for days in the fridge, and can then be quickly warmed and loosened up on the stove or in the microwave with a splash of water or your favored milk. Now, when I have the planning, I make a huge pot of oatmeal on Sunday for breakfast, then Im set with the base to take in various taste instructions throughout the week.
With cooked oatmeal stocked in the refrigerator, I turn my attention to garnishes. My ideal oatmeal always has a creamy part (nut butter, tahini, heavy cream), something fruity (golden raisins, sliced up apples, whatever taste of Bonne Maman jam is on my refrigerator door), and a shower of seedy sprinkles (toasted coconut, buckwheat groats, sesame seeds).
It’s Time For Opulent Oatmeal
It’s Time For Opulent Oatmeal
It’s Time For Opulent Oatmeal
It’s Time For Opulent Oatmeal
It’s Time For Opulent Oatmeal
