Savory Oatmeal with a Basted Egg
Until about a year ago, it never occurred to me that oatmeal could be a savory dish, but once I stumbled upon it (thanks, Penny de los Santos!), it quickly became one of my favorite breakfast (or breakfast-for-dinner) treats. The egg on top mixes up the textures, which could get a little blah by the end of the bowl without it.
Makes1 hearty breakfast
CostInexpensive
Total Timeunder 1 hour
Recipe Coursemain course
Dietary Considerationhalal, kosher, peanut free, soy free, tree nut free
Five Ingredients or LessYes
Mealbreakfast, brunch
Moodadventurous, blue, stressed, tired
Taste and Texturecreamy, rich, savory
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup steel-cut (not rolled) oats
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons shredded Emmentaler or Gruyere cheese
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
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In a small saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups of water with a pinch of salt to a boil and stream in the oats. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the oats are soft, 30 to 45 minutes. Baste the egg while the oats are cooking.
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Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the olive oil and cheese. Top with the egg and season to taste with salt and pepper. Eat immediately.
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The basting method of frying requires a bit more fat, but also makes what I think are the best-tasting eggs. Plus it gives you the over-easy look without the scary flip.
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Place about 1/4 inch of oil in a cast-iron skillet, along with 1 tablespoon butter (or lard or duck fat). Heat over medium-high heat until the butter’s melted and the oil’s just shimmering. Then slide in your eggs. As they cook, use a spoon to push the fat in the pan up on top of the egg white, to help it cook evenly all over. Remove the eggs from the pan when the whites are solid, about 2 to 3 minutes, for a perfectly cooked egg with a runny yolk. For firmer yolks, cook a little longer.
2013 Lara Ferroni
