In the case of oats, especially rapidly, because oats are
the only grass-based cereal that contains large quantities of
oil--five percent oil, more or less. That's why oats "stick to your
ribs." Rolled oats become stale and lose their flavor (and
nutritional content) and perhaps become rancid very rapidly. So we
make porridge from whole oat groats that we coarsely grind to grits
(steel-cut oats) in an electric seed/spice mill just before cooking.
It is not easy to cook oat grits. They take a lot longer than rolled
oats and if not done exactly to the recipe I'm about to give you,
will almost inevitably stick to the pot badly and may also froth
over and mess the stove. Here's how to cook them. Coarsely grind
(like corn meal) your whole oats until you have one cup of oat
grits. Bring exactly four cups of water (no salt) to a very hard
boil at your highest heat. You may add a handful of raisins. Light
or turn on a second, small-sized burner on the stove and set it as
low as possible. Into the fast boiling water, slowly pour the ground
oats, stirring continuously. Take about 30 seconds to pour it all or
you'll make clumps. Keep on the high heat until the water again
boils vigorously. Suddenly, the mixture will begin rising in the pot
and will try to pour all over the stove. This means it is all at
boiling temperature again.
Pages:
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285