College Cooking Tips
This recipe comes to us from "The Splendid Grain". The author learned to cook oatmeal in a Scottish kitchen where the cook introduced her to the use and tradition of a Spurtle; the narrow stirring stick used in cooking Scottish meals. These can be of simple design, but often are elaborately carved with a thistle on top. The tradition is that the oatmeal is stirred with a spurtle held in the right hand in a clockwise direction. According to this tradition, dating to the 15th C, one does this, ‘Lest you invoke the devil’ If you don't have a spurtle lieing about, the handle of a wooden utensil or even a chopstick will do the trick with my guarantee that the devil won't mind the substitution.
Rolled oats have had the hulls removed, then steamed, then rolled making them cook faster. Some of the nutritional benefit is lost in exchange for the convenience of a faster cooking time. Steel cut oats, also known as Irish or Scottish oats have had the hulls removed and then sliced in two or three pieces. They will have a chewier, more robust feel in your mouth along with a creamy taste. If you have interest in cooking Steel cut oats, leave us a note and we'll add it to the site.
If you have a crock pot you can cook steel cut oats overnight and wake up to the aroma of hot, nutty oatmeal in the morning.
Creamy Chewy Oatmeal
Not that solid lump you may have grown up eating
Makes 2 servings
Boil
- 2 Cups of water at a "galloping", constant boil
- add just a pinch of salt
Technique for adding
- 1 Cup of Rolled Oats (this is the most common kind of oats that you will find in the grocery store, generally known as "Oatmeal" or "Old Fashioned Oats".)
While maintaining the "galloping" boil sprinkle flakes of oatmeal on top of the water so that each grain falls separately and is instantly sealed by water. Use the handle of a wooden utensil to stir constantly. This enables the oat to become pleasingly plump and not sticky and mushy. The small diameter of the wooden handle as a stirring stick further separates the grains.
Never add so much oatmeal that the water stops boiling and never stop stirring with the end of your wooden utensil until you have sprinkled in the full cup. Takes about 1 minute of sprinkling and stirring.
Reduce the heat to a simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring as required. We generally only need to stir it a couple of times in that 10 minutes of simmering.
Adorn with goodies and EAT!