Steamed Oatmeal

James Troutman

Date: 2003/11/10
Last revised: 2003/11/10

With the arrival of colder weather what better way to start the day than with a bowl of steaming hot oatmeal? Here's a technique from the March-April 2003 issue of Cook's Illustrated for making the best bowl of oatmeal you'll ever eat. The oats are fluffy with distinct grains, and best of all they have a wonderful, rich flavor.

Use rolled oats for best results. Quaker calls them Old Fashioned Oats, but if you have access to a specialty store, you can pick up a pound of rolled oats for less than a buck. "Health food" stores probably carry them too.

Steamed Oatmeal

Ingredients

Rolled Oats (sometimes called Old Fashioned Oats)
Salt (optional)

Place a vegetable steamer in a saucepan and add enough water to come about halfway up the steamer. Bring water to a boil.

Add the oats. Add salt if desired. Blanch for two minutes.

Remove steamer and pour off excess water. Leave just enough water to steam the oats.

Return steamer to pan and bring water to a boil. Cover pan and turn off heat.

Let the oats steam for five to ten minutes.

Serving suggestions

Serve oatmeal in a heated bowl with a separate bowl of cold milk on the side. Take a spoonful of hot oatmeal and dip it into the milk. This preserves the hot and cold contrast of the oatmeal and milk. If you like sweetener, add it to the milk.

Add some cashews and raisins to the oatmeal. I find that the raisins are usually sweet enough that I don't need to add any sweetener to the milk.

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