Author Notes: Miso might seem like a strange addition to porridge, but it actually makes sense on a lot of levels. For one thing, miso soup is often eaten for breakfast in Japan. For another, letting the miso sit in the oats overnight pre-digests some of their starch, making them taste sweeter. The subtle miso flavor brings oats to a whole new level of comfort food. —linzarella
Food52 Review: With just the right balance of savory and sweet, linzarella’s miso-infused oatmeal is both comfortingly familiar and completely unconventional. The earthy tang of the miso is a surprising complement to the hearty steel cut oats; the flavors are rounded out with a large knob of butter and a spoonful of honey. The technique couldn’t be easier: you simmer the oats briefly in water, add the miso and go to bed. In the morning, you just reheat and add the butter and honey. This porridge is somewhat loose — if you prefer it less so, simmer it for a few minutes longer either before you add the miso, or while you’re reheating it. – A&M —The Editors
Serves: 2
Ingredients
-
1/2
cup steel cut oats
-
2
cups water
-
1-2
tablespoons sweet white miso paste
-
1-2
tablespoons honey
-
1-2
tablespoons butter
-
1
handful toasted walnuts, chopped
Directions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the oats and the water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 to 20 minutes, then turn off the heat and cover the pot. [Editor’s note: The longer you simmer the porridge, the thicker it will be. You can also thicken it the next morning when you reheat it.]
- When they are cool enough to hold your finger in the pot for 10 seconds, spoon 1/4 cup of oats into a small bowl. Add the miso to the bowl and stir well to combine. Pour the miso-oat mixture back into the saucepan and stir to combine. Leave overnight.
- In the morning, heat the oats gently until steaming but not boiling. Stir in honey, butter, and walnuts before serving.
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The oats don't look all that promising in their raw form. Hamster pellets, anyone?
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This recipe starts simply: just water and oats.
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Once they've simmered for 5 minutes, linzarella has you cool them down a bit.
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Amanda uses the finger test.
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Not all miso is created equal For this recipe, you should look for sweet white miso.
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Amanda scoops out a cupful of the oats while Merrill looks at her askance.
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In goes the miso for a savory-sweet touch.
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Somewhat like tempering eggs, you then mix the small bowl of miso oats back into the rest of the oats. Then you cover the pot and wait until morning!
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The next day, once you've re-warmed the oatmeal, you add just the tiniest hint of butter.
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Butter and honey make good friends.
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We have a little visitor watching our every move to make sure we get this recipe done right!
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The final touch is a sprinkling of toasted walnuts (which we forgot to toast — it was not tragic).
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