With the onset of cooler weather, it’s the perfect time to harvest your oat recipes. From Indian spices to Scottish spirits, this week really did showcase the humble oat’s versatility.
Who doesn’t love porridge with extravagant toppings? Victoria’s version with halva has a sophistication that makes it truly weekend-worthy. As is ElleZumbido’s chai granola. I’ll be eating it throughout the week with a blob of coconut yoghurt. The overnight oat pancakes from Clairetweet have a deep, savoury flavour and wholesome texture, making them a perfect vessel for poached eggs or ham and melted cheese. Rakesh Bargota’s salmon and oat goujons were also a revelation. I packed leftovers in a wrap with some salad and a little extra chutney for lunch. Meanwhile, Thom Eagle’s whisky and oat praline ice‑cream is a very wintery indulgence.
Detoutcoeur Limousin provided this week’s winning recipe. These dark chocolate oatcakes are sweet enough to dunk in tea and healthy enough to eat on the hoof in the mornings. I’ve made three batches so far ...
The winning recipe: dark chocolate oatcakes
Based on a classic Nova Scotia recipe, these oatcakes are sweet, salty and crisp. The addition of wholemeal flour also gives it a more savoury depth, which works well. Think flapjack meets Hobnob meets digestive.
Detoutcoeur Limousin, via GuardianWitness
Makes 24 medium or 50 small biscuits
90g rolled oats
50g oat bran (or 140g oats)
100g wholemeal flour
100g plain white flour
110g brown sugar
½ tsp baking powder
175ml vegetable or rapeseed oil
¾ tsp salt (or to taste)
50g dark chocolate chips
80ml cold water (or enough to make a stiff dough)
1 tbsp fennel seeds, or 2 tbsp chopped stem ginger
1 Preheat the oven to 175C/350F/gas mark 4. Line some baking sheets with greaseproof/baking paper.
2 Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir until well combined, using enough water to form a stiff dough.
3 Sprinkle a work surface with a little flour, then roll or press out the dough to 5mm thick. Cut into circles around 5cm in diameter, or bigger if you prefer.
4 Bake for about 15 minutes, or until just slightly changing colour; they will continue to crisp up as they cool.
Halva porridge
My husband and I are like chalk and cheese when it comes to porridge; he likes his completely plain – just oats and water, whereas I like to add as many spice rack and storecupboard ingredients as I can lay my hands on! This one is a personal favourite, and is full of protein.
Victoria, North London
Serves 2
100g jumbo rolled oats
475ml water
225ml milk
1 small handful of raisins
2 tbsp tahini
2 tsp runny honey, plus extra to serve
1 small handful of pistachios, pecans or walnuts
2 tsp sesame seeds
1 small banana, sliced (optional)
1 Add the oats, water, milk and raisins to the saucepan and bring to a slow boil, stirring often. Simmer for a few minutes on a low heat until cooked.
2 Pour the porridge into a bowl, swirl through the tahini and honey, then top with the pistachios, sesame seeds and banana slices. Add a little extra honey if you like.
Oat crumb salmon goujons with coriander and mint chutney
A quick and easy dish that you can have on your dinner table within 30 minutes. The crunchy oats and coriander seed coating provides a lovely crunch to the salmon, while the tangy herb chutney provides the zing.
Rakesh Bargota, Birmingham
Serves 2-4
400g salmon fillets, skinless and boneless
100g rolled oats
2 eggs, lightly beaten
50g plain flour
1 tsp coriander seeds
For the chutney
50g fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
50g fresh mint leaves, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1 small mild green chilli, chopped
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce you prefer)
1 Preheat the oven to 200F/400F/gas mark 6. Wash the salmon fillets in cold water and then pat dry on kitchen towels. Cut the fillets into 2cm-width strips.
2 Grind the oats and coriander seeds in a food processor into fine crumbs, then transfer on to a plate. Put the flour on to another plate and the beaten eggs in a mixing bowl.
3 Now, take one salmon strip, roll it first in the flour, then dip into the beaten egg and finally roll it in the crushed oats. Repeat with the other salmon strips. Place on a baking tray and cook for around 15 minutes, until golden and crispy.
4 While the salmon is cooking, prepare the chutney. Combine the coriander, mint, onion, chilli, lime juice and garam masala in a food processor and blend to a smooth paste. Add the fish sauce or soy to taste; it should be fragrant and tart.
5 Once the fish is cooked, serve immediately with the chutney.
Overnight oat pancakes
I mix up a batch of oatcake batter in the evening then let it sit in the fridge overnight to plump up. It just needs a bit of a whisk in the morning to bring the yeast back to life. There is no absolute need for these to be ‘overnight’ oat pancakes. I just have a penchant for things that I can prepare in an evening ready for relaxed cooking the next morning. If you want to make them with just an hours notice I’d use fine oatmeal though, not medium.My son loves an after-school oatcake, grilled with butter. They are very good topped with ham and melted cheese but Ed and I like an oatcake as an edible plate for a fry up as they are excellent at soaking up runny fried egg.
Clairetweet, via GuardianWitness
Makes 16
500ml hot water
500ml cold milk
225g wholemeal flour
225g medium oatmeal
7g fast action yeast
½ tsp salt
Oil, for frying
1 Prepare the batter the night before, starting with mixing the hot water and cold milk to make a lukewarm liquid.
2 Stir together the flour, oatmeal, yeast and salt, then gradually whisk in the liquid. Leave out for an hour or so, then cover with clingfilm and put the batter in the fridge overnight.
3 The next day, get the batter out of the fridge and let it wake up for an hour or so. Then give it a good whisk. Lightly oil a frying pan and spoon in a ladleful of batter, tipping to spread it evenly. When it bubbles all over and browns a little at the edge, flip it over. Cook on the other side until browned.
4 Cook the rest of the batter in the same way, keeping the pancakes warm in a low-heated oven, then eat then and there, or chill until needed then dry fry or grill when you need one. You can also save the batter for a day or two and cook as you need them.
Whisky and oat praline ice-cream
This was dessert for my Burns Night supper, and it made a fine, boozy end to a fine, boozy meal.
Thom Eagle, Halesworth, Suffolk
Serves 6-8
300ml whole milk
4 large egg yolks
150g caster sugar
300ml double cream
50g jumbo oats
A pinch of flaky sea salt
50ml single malt whisky
1 Gently warm the milk and cream to just below boiling. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks with 100g of the sugar until thick and very pale; when you’re done, the mixture should have doubled or even tripled in volume.
2 Whisk in the warm milk, then pour into a heavy-based saucepan and heat very gently, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. As soon as it thickens and coats the back of the spoon, take it off the heat and strain into a clean bowl. Leave to cool.
3 For the praline, toast the oats in a dry pan until they’ve darkened a shade, then add the remaining 50g of sugar and a pinch of salt. Stir and toss until the sugar has melted and covered the oats, turning a toffee-ish colour, then pour on to a sheet of greaseproof paper. Allow to cool, then smash up any larger clumps.
4 Either churn the custard in an ice-cream maker, adding the whisky and praline when it’s frozen, or pour it into a large tub and freeze, uncovered, for an hour. Take it out, whisk the edges into the middle, and freeze again; repeat until nearly done, then stir in the booze and oats. Either way, a spell in the freezer overnight will finish it off nicely. Some shortbread and some more whisky would do very well here when you serve it.
Chai granola
There is no way that this is disguising itself as healthy! It is a decadent granola that conjures up the flavours and warmth of India, and is best enjoyed over yoghurt or ice-cream. If you can get hold of panela or jaggery, an ingredient used frequently in Latin and Asian cuisine, it is well worth it for the flavour.
ElleZumbido, via GuardianWitness
Makes about 600g
50g crystallised ginger, roughly chopped
50g shredded coconut
25g cacao nibs, toasted (optional)
300g oats
1 tsp chai masala spice (½ tsp each of cinnamon, cardamom, fennel, pepper, star anise and nutmeg)
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
A pinch of salt
50g banana chips, broken into pieces
100g salted butter
2 tbsp molasses
60g panela, jaggery or raw cane sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Set the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Mix together the ginger, coconut and cacao nibs and set aside. In a separate large bowl, mix together the oats, spices and banana chips.
2 Melt the butter with the molasses, panela, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt over a medium heat. When you have a smooth consistency, pour it over the oat mixture and stir well, ensuring it is well coated.
3 Spread the oat mixture out on to the pre-lined baking tray and bake for 30 minutes, ensuring you check it frequently and stir. After 20 minutes stir in the ginger, coconut and cacao nib mixture and bake for the remaining 10 minutes.
4 Allow to cool and transfer to an airtight container or jar. Will keep fresh for up to 2 weeks.
