Servings: 1 large, 2 medium
3.5 ounces steel-cut oats
20.5 ouncesof cold water
Maple syrup, brown sugar or sweetener of your choice
Milk (optional)
For a larger portion, use 4 ounces of oats and 23.5 cold water.
The instructions below are for cooking on a gas cooktop.
Using a scale in ounces, place the bowl on it, press tare to set it to 0 and measure 3.5 ounces of steel-cut oats. Pour the oats into a 5-qt pot. Place the bowl on the scale again, check that it shows 0, measure 20.5 ounces of water and pour it into the pot with the oats.
Set the pot on the largest burner – the middle one on our range – turn to high, partially cover with the lid and set the timer to 3 minutes. Stay by the stove! Remove lid, let it come to almost a full boil and move the pot to the small element on the upper left on the lowest setting – simmer* setting with the knob turned to the farthest right. Cover and cook for 23 minutes. Do not remove the lid while cooking.
Remove from heat. Do not lift the lid and let it rest for 1 to 1.5 hours. The longer rest time means the oats absorb more of the water, making them softer. If you are short on time, you can eat them right away.
Add maple syrup or brown sugar and milk. It makes a substantial portion, so allow about 25 minutes to eat.
The hot cereal is watery, which I’m told is better than a thicker mixture. Not stirring reduces the starchiness. Steel-cut oats can vary from batch to batch so you may need to adjust the amount of water or cooking time.
*On our range, the two smallest burners have a “simmer” setting. The rest say “low”.