U.S. Team Battles for Oatmeal Honors
It takes a lot of haggis--I mean, hubris!--to challenge the Scots in the field of oatmeal. This year, though, a team from Oregon-based Bob's Red Mill, home of specialty grains and flours, is competing in the 16th Annual Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship in a small Scottish town. (A spurtle, by the way, being a wooden porridge stirring stick.) Matt Cox and Dennis Gilliam of Bob's Red Mill are the first Americans in the competition's history, competing in the "specialty porridge" and "traditional porridge" categories. Grains are serious business here: The defending champion, according to the contest web site, credits his success to getting his porridge water from a bore hole dug 100 feet down into an underground river.
I talked with Cox by phone today, where he was impressed by the way the competition has taken over the "charming" little village of Carrbridge, and excited about showing his oatmeal stuff on Sunday. Stumbling on news of the contest a few years back, Cox said, he and his colleagues instantly thought "what fun, what an adventure, what a way to show our passion." (Scoff if you will, oatmeal-haters, but those of us who eat it daily for breakfast can understand such commitment.)
Cox knows the American team has a lot to prove, but points out that his company has been in the whole grain business for some time, that he's made thousands of batches of porridge in his day, and "we've learned a thing or two along the way."
His specialty recipe, inspired by the oatmeal brulee served at a Portland restaurant, Gravy, was designed to showcase Oregon's natural bounty, Cox said. "I don't know who it couldn't appeal to."
Get your grain on by following the festival on Twitter. We'll be rooting for, as one commentator put it, "Team Oatmerica."
(Updated Sunday night to add, IT'S A PORRIDGE UPSET! GO TEAM OATMERICA! The U.S. team scooped up the title, as the BBC reports here.)
Cox's recipe, by the way, is a bit complex for home cooks, but if you're comfortable bruleeing and flambeing, here you have it:
Oregon Orchard Oat Brulee
Ingredients:
for oatmeal:
1/2 cup steel cut oats, raw
1/2 cup steel cut oats, toasted
2 cups water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
for compote:
1-1/2 cups diced unpeeled pear (2 or 3 pears should do it)
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon toasted crushed coriander seed
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (for cinnamon sugar)
3/4 teaspoon sugar (for cinnamon sugar)
pinch of salt
3/4 cup dried sweet cherries
1/2 cup Clear Creek Distillery Pear Eau de Vie
3/4 cup granulated sugar for flambe
finely chopped hazelnuts for garnish
Directions:
1. Soak oats in water overnight, covered.
2. Bring water and oats to a boil in a small saucepan. Add salt and cream.
3. Cook 17-18 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat, cover and let set while preparing compote (below).
4. Sprinkle diced pear with lemon juice, set aside.
5. Mix ingredients for cinnamon sugar (the 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 3/4 teaspoon sugar) together, set aside.
6. Melt butter over low flame in saute pan. When butter is just beginning to color, add coriander and let it perfume the butter for a few seconds. Add the pears, and give the pan a shake. Sprinkle 3/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon sugar over the pears, sprinkle salt over pears, and toss again to coat evenly.
7. Add cherries and toss to coat. Turn the flame up and pour in the eau de vie. Tilt the pan to catch the gas flame and let the alcohol burn off. (Note: This would be the "not for amateurs" department.)
8. Continue to let the compote simmer until the juices begin to caramelize. Add to the oats and mix in gently. Spoon into three small bowls, mounding the tops.
9. Garnish with granulated sugar. Flambe. (See, again, under "not for amateurs.") Add topping of finely chopped hazelnuts.
Serves 3.
--Rebekah Denn
CakeSpy on October 12, 2009 at 11:40 AM
I find this absolutely charming. Actually I'd like to see a "Rudy"-esque film about the oatmeal underdogs! And the Oatmeal Brulee sounds amazing. I love the idea of it--might just have to try it!
Shelby on October 12, 2009 at 12:19 PM
Actually, while the recipe given above was the Bob's Red Mill entry in the Specialty category, they won the overall top prize for their entry in the Traditional category: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/10/bobs_red_mill_wins_scottish_po.html
TightwadCelticYank on October 12, 2009 at 12:20 PM
For my oatmeal, I take the juice of limes or key limes, add some milk or powdered milk w some water, and add sugar. Soak, don't cook it.
Ex: 4 key limes, 1/2-1 c oatmeal, 1/3 c milk powder, dab of water to taste, 1 tb sugar. Soak a bit, or not at all. For those who like chewey oatmeal. If you prefer softer and hotter, nuke it a while.
Rebekah Denn on October 12, 2009 at 12:50 PM
CakeSpy, I would watch that movie too!
TightwadCelticYank, I cannot imagine oatmeal made with lime juice, but then, I couldn't have imagined oatmeal brulee either.
Shelby, thank you, you're correct -- the Red Mill team won the World Porridge Making title, but the recipe listed was their entry in the specialty category.
Rob C on October 12, 2009 at 05:16 PM
Just a note/question on that last step. Since we're talking a brulee aren't you supposed to use a little torch to brown the sugar at the end instead of flambe'ing it?
Flambe: http://whatscookingamerica.net/flambe.htm
Brulee: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/videos/1002/how-to-brule
V.B. Bart on October 12, 2009 at 09:40 PM
Eureka! Bob's Red Mill Team won the traditional category! Right after reading your post about their entry in the Golden Spurtle contest, I happened to be reading the London Telegraph, and lo, and behold, there they were. Here's the URL:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/6300933/American-wins-world-porridge-title.html
Best always,
VBB
ginko on October 13, 2009 at 12:13 AM
Hello
Hey this seems really very nice.I have never tried like this recipe before so thank you very much for sharing such a tasty recipe with us.You have done a good job.
Tiffany Jewelry on July 05, 2010 at 07:56 PM
For my oatmeal, I take the juice of limes or key limes, add some milk or powdered milk w some water, and add sugar. Soak, don't cook it.