Toasted Oatmeal

Photo: flickr user Micah Sittig

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 cup steel-cut oats or Irish or Scottish

cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 pch coarse salt

1 cup honey

4 star anise

4 cinnamon sticks

cup brandy or apple juice (optional)

1 vanilla bean split and scraped

8 pitted prunes

12 dried apricot halves

cup golden raisins

Preparation

For the Oatmeal: Melt butter in a medium heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add oats, and toast, shaking pan and turning oats until browned and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add 4 cups water and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer until most of the water has evaporated and the oatmeal is tender, about 30 minutes for the Irish oatmeal, or 5 to 10 minutes for old-fashioned rolled oats. Serve hot with desired toppings. (Makes 4 cups)

For the Infused Honey: Warm honey, star anise, and cinnamon sticks in a small saucepan over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes. Turn off heat; let rest for at least 30 minutes, or overnight. Serve over hot cereal. (Makes 1 cup)

For the Stewed Fruit: Place brandy, vanilla bean seeds and pod, prunes, apricots, and raisins in a medium saucepan with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer fruit until liquid is reduced by about three-quarters. Serve warm over hot cereal. (Makes 1 cup)

This recipe yields 4 servings.