Overnight Rice & Oat Porridge
The great thing about this dish is that you can par-cook it the night before, which greatly shortens the actual cooking time. I usually combine the ingredients, heat them to boiling, reduce the heat and let them boil gently for 5 minutes. I then turn off the heat, cover the pot, and that’s it. The next morning. Reheat the pot, stirring often, and cook over low heat until the mixture is thick and creamy. I prefer my porridge with a light sprinkling of brown sugar, but some people prefer a drizzle of maple syrup or a sprinkling of raisins.
The night before: Combine rice and oat groats in a small, heavy stainless steel saucepan. Add salt and water and bring to a boil, watching carefully so mixture doesn’t boil over. Reduce heat immediately and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Turn off heat, cover pot and let sit on burner overnight.
The next morning: Stir rice and oat mixture and return to boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, uncovered and stirring often so mixture does not stick to bottom of pan, for about 15 minutes, more or less, until mixture is thick and creamy. If desired, you can put some type of flame disperser on the burner to prevent mixture from sticking. I sometimes take the grate off another burner and put it on top of the burner I’m using to create some distance from the heat to the bottom of the pan. However, if you don’t mind stirring often, you can avoid this step.
Continue to cook until mixture is thick and “goopy.” If mixture gets a little too thick, add a splash of boiling water from the tea kettle and stir well. If it appears to be not thick enough, just keep cooking for a few more minutes. The longer you cook it, the thicker it gets. Serve with a sprinkling of brown sugar or a drizzling of maple syrup.
Note: You can refrigerate any leftovers and heat in the microwave the next day. Add a little boiling water to thin out the mixture, if necessary. Or refrigerate in the original pan and place the pan back on the burner the next morning, adding a little bit of boiling water and stirring for a few minutes until heated through.
Photography by Jim White
Carol White
Carol White is a Napa Valley-based food writer and editor who has passionately devoted herself to the study of food and cooking. She was previously based in Toronto, where she worked as a food editor for one of Canada’s most popular magazines, Canadian Living, and edited a weekly food column for Canada’s largest newspaper, The Toronto Star. Carol is also the editor of the highly successful President’s Choice Cookbook and President’s Choice Barbecue Cookbook. Over the years, Carol has evolved a style of cooking that friends call “Cuisine Carolaise.” While not French, per se, Cuisine Carolaise can be described as rustic, clean, rich in flavor and based on the freshest, best-quality ingredients available.