—- datatemplateentry recipe —- template : etc:tpl_recipe_page source : thegoodsoup.com author : Angela Hirst photo : recipe:whole_oat_porridge.png description : It’s hard to imagine going back to rolled oats after the texture revelation that is whole oat porridge. The oats have an al dente slipperiness to them. They resist the bite just enough, while still releasing their creaminess into the porridge as a whole. And the process is incredibly simple.

I have to admit that there are some mealtimes when I relish a bit of boredom. Some days, all I want to do is eat oats. After working in a kitchen all day, for instance, tasting and seasoning endlessly, my palette craves blandness. And first thing in the morning for breakfast, to start my stomach off well.

Now, I know there’s art in the perfect oats. I studied at an Irish cooking school, afterall, and one of my best friends, Dako, is an expert at making the perfectly salted (in the Scottish tradition) bowl of oats. But until Co’s visit, I’d always thought oats needed to be rolled or cut. Apparently not. Co says that, in fact, whole oat porridge is a macrobiotic orgasm.

So we made them, and it is, and I’ve been doing it every since. It’s hard to imagine going back to rolled oats after the texture revelation that is whole oat porridge. The oats have an al dente slipperiness to them. They resist the bite just enough, while still releasing their creaminess into the porridge as a whole. And the process is incredibly simple.

3 Servings (per cup of oats)

• 1 cup whole dry oats
• 3 cups filtered water (approximately)
• Sea salt
• Dried figs, prunes or apricots (optional)
• Yoghurt (optional)
• Maple syrup (optional)

Note: Neither the yogurt or the syrup is macrobiotic or good for psoriasis, but it is delicious.

Soak the oats in the water over night, and then using the same water, set them on a very low heat to cook, stirring occasionally. I use a Japanese ceramic cooking pot, cheaply acquired at many Asian grocers, but any nonreactive, thick bottomed pot will do. As the oats come to a slow simmer, they will give off a little froth. Just keep stirring this back in. I find it unnecessary to skim off for any taste reasons and eventually, it just disappears into the creaminess. Add as much sea salt as you like to taste (or taste along the way and add more).

Try to keep the heat low, keep an eye on the level of the water, but keep the lid on. To start, allow for about a centimetre of water above the oat line, and then as they absorb the water and get more creamy, if they dry out, add a little bit more. But if there's still water there, don't add any, because on a very low heat, the oats will manage to get nice and creamy and the rest of the water will simply evaporate or be absorbed.

Cook the oats for half an hour or a few hours, depending on how textured you like them. The longer you cook them, the softer the oats get, but I have yet to stretch it to the point where they entirely break down. However long you cook them, aim for a porridge where there is no excess water and generally a thick cream around the grains.

Depending on how ascetic I'm feeling, sometimes I like to add a few figs or prunes along the way. Sometimes I also add a spoonful of yoghurt, a teaspoon of maple syrup and some sliced apples, right when I'm serving up. The yoghurt emphasises the porridge's creaminess while adding a slight 'tang', the maple syrup's salty sweetness plays with the oats' more earthy tones, and the apple lifts its freshness.

How very unmacrobiotic of me.

One of the particularly nice things about this porridge is that it's endlessly reheatable. Just leave any leftover oats in the pot. In our cold Berlin kitchen, I don't store them in the fridge, but use your discretion with this. The next day, add a little water, and slowly heat and stir to break up the porridge until it's smooth again.

recipe simple breakfast macrobiotic