If there’s one thing I need to have every morning, it has to be Irish oatmeal. I grew up eating Chinese porridge, which is made by simmering cooked rice in water, for breakfast. Irish oatmeal gives the same texture as Chinese porridge, creamy and silky. It is the perfect breakfast choice in winter.

Once the oatmeal is cooked to creamy and sikly consistency, I like to add fruits and syrup to sum up the hearty dish. The best way to introduce fruits and syrup to Irish oatmeal is by adding compote, made by simmering fresh or dried fruits in simple syrup until softened. Since apples are in season, they are my choice for compote in my oatmeal.

What a perfect breakfast choice when it’s snowing outside.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Irish oatmeal (aka steel cut oatmeal)
• Enough boiling water to cover oatmeal by 2 inches in a pot, approximately 4 cups
• 1/3 cup whole milk or half&half
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon of butter

Instructions:

• Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add oatmeal and stir gently. Coat and cook oatmeal until nutty odor comes out.
• Add water and stir oatmeal gently. Be careful, there will be a lot of steam coming out of the pan.
• Drop the heat to simmer and put the lid back on, but leave a little slit for steam to come out.
• Once the water is almost absorbed by oatmeal, add salt and keep stirring for few more minutes. By stirring oatmeal gently, the starch will be released and create the creamy and silky consistency.
• Add milk once water is absorbed completely and keep stirring.
• Add brown sugar and adjust to your taste.