ROOTS & WINGS

39. "Oat-sotto"

Porridge AGAIN!? I hear you yell, but... bear with me!

There's a striking difference between all recipes I found for this dish as of yet... it's savory All others I have (at least in MY collection) are sweet / fruity.

Also where I got it from is... unusual... as it's out of French cook Émelie Franzo: Mushrooms – The Cookbook (OR: Champignons – Recettes gourmandes et Conseils de Préparations... just for the heck of it, and because French reads yummier).

It starts out as porridge but ends at a completely different dish, as the Recipe Title hints at.

If – for some crazy reason – you HATE rice, but don't want to do without risotto, this is the most convincing "bluff". I mean, my third name IS "risotto"... and even I, if someone had served me this, woulda been FOOLED!

Wanna "fool" a professional "risottino" just as skillfully?

Then off to the kitchen!

Oh, but bring some time – we're cooking not on the run.




Serves: 2 4 recipe, but I halved it since I'm alone

Prep Time: ~ 1 hr

Degree of Difficulty: Easy BUT, as with risotto, grant it the time for BEST results




WE NEED ORIGINAL quantities in brackets


100 (200) gr / 3.5 (7) oz. oats

200 (400) ml / 6.75 (13.5) US fl.oz. OAT "milk" Nope! Took real milk. 1. I'm NOT a vegan, 2. it makes creamier texture... and so contributes to the risotto "feeling"

200 (400) ml / 6.75 (13.5) US fl.oz. veg stock Yes, even I only cook with instant – look for the SHORTEST ingredients list => LESSER health-degenerating additives

60 (120) gr / 2.25 (4.5) oz. parmesan ONLY Reggiano – as this is a Protected Designation of Origin => you get the REAL thing, and NOT some cheap FAKE

1/2 (1) leek
175 (350) gr / 6.25 (12.5) oz. (tubular) chanterelle Granted, they are RARE, so ANY savory mushrooms will do
1 (2) garlic cloves

1 (2) twigs sage FRESH, if you can get your hands on it. From the REST you can make GREAT tea. If you don't get it fresh, you gotta google quantity conversion OR use another FRESH ingredient, like... chives, or so.

15 (30) gr / 1 (2) oz. butter
1 (2) tsp thyme Preferred FRESH, but guess dried works, too.
salt
pepper




WE DO


1. PREP WORK: Cook the veg stock. Grate the parmesan. If necessary, clean the chanterelle gills / mushrooms with a brush. DON'T WASH – they get all SOGGY and you can throw them away

2. For the porridge, add oats, milk/"oat milk", veg stock + parmesan to a pot. Stir / Mix, then cover the pot and let the mix simmer on low(est) heat for 10 minutes. Stir regularly so the cheese doesn't burn into the pot's base.

3. In the meantime, if necessary, clean the leek and cut off the green. But DON'T throw it away! Use it for soup, salad, etc. Halve the white lengthwise, and, if necessary, clean that, too, before cutting it into thin slices. Peel + chop the garlic. Finely chop 2/4 sage leaves. Remove the needles from the thyme stems – roughly chop them for more aroma.

4. Melt the butter in a pan – probably add a DASH of oil so it doesn't burn – and sauté the leek for 2 minutes, then add mushrooms, garlic, sage + thyme and fry for 7-8 minutes OR until the mushrooms are golden-brown, – The LATTER is intended – and season with salt + pepper.

5. Fold half of the mushroom mix into the porridge, fill it into bowls, and top each with the remaining mushroom mix, some more parmesan + sage leaves. I roughly tore the latter.



Guten Hunger!