Grains

Ris-oat-o

by:
April  4, 2013
4.5
4 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Serves 4 as a side dish
Author Notes

Oatmeal—it's what's for dinner! Shed of its customary cloying mantle of sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, or what have you, oatmeal stands proudly alongside the great grains of the world. I was late to the party in discovering this, and I'm certainly not the first one to use oats in a risotto-like recipe, but, inspired by Merrill's Farro Risotto, this is what I came up with. For dinner! —wssmom

Test Kitchen Notes

This dish was a great spin on traditional rice risotto, and the ease of preparation was fabulous. I used about 3 1/4 cups of organic chicken stock for simmering, and added two glugs of pinot gris to finish. The sautéed scallions and mushrooms added savoriness, and the Parmesan cheese introduced just enough saltiness. Texturally, our ris-oat-o emerged creamy, silky, and perfectly done. I was extremely pleased with this exploration of oats—they're not just for breakfast! Kudos to wssmom for a great recipe. —Bevi

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Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 4 to 6 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup steel-cut oats (I used Bob's Red Mill)
  • 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock (preferably homemade), plus more as needed
  • White wine, to taste
  • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
  • Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Directions
  1. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium-sized saucepan and stir in the scallions. Cook over medium-low heat until softened. In a small skillet, sauté the mushrooms in the remaining butter until browned. Set aside.
  2. Add the oats to the scallions and stir until mixed in. Add about a cup of the stock and bring to a simmer, letting most of the liquid absorb. Repeat 2 more times with 1 cup of stock each time. Once all the liquid is incorporated and it is simmering nicely, cover and cook for 10 minutes, or until the oats are al dente.
  3. Pour in a glug or two of the wine, turn up the heat, and cook for another couple of minutes until most, if not all, of the liquid has evaporated. At this point, check the oats for doneness. If they are to your liking and there is some liquid remaining, strain it off. If not, continue to simmer, adding more wine and/or stock as needed.
  4. When ready, stir in the Parmesan and the reserved mushrooms and heat through. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

7 Reviews

Jim M. February 2, 2018
Do you use Bob's Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats or Bob's "Regular Cooking Time" Oats?
QueenSashy April 25, 2013
I love the flavor combo. Congratulations on the CP!
wssmom April 26, 2013
Thank you so much!
Bevi April 9, 2013
I love this. What kind of wine do you use? Dry white?
wssmom April 11, 2013
Whatever is on hand. Usually pinot grigio, but it works well with a dry-ish reisling. Come to think of it, it might be very tasty with something off-dry like a sauvignon blanc or a viognier, too.
drbabs April 7, 2013
Love. So funny, I was thinking of doing this, too.
wssmom April 9, 2013
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