National Culinary Review

OAT LOADS OF

OPPORTUNIT Y

THERE’S MORE TO OATMEAL THAN PORRIDGE, AND NOW’S THE TIME TO EXPERIMENT. BY JODY SHEE

all it breakfast porridge. Call it a cholesterol
buster. Call it old-fashioned, steel-cut or quick.
Whatever you call oats and oatmeal, it’s at center
stage, especially on fast-food breakfast menus. But
that’s just the beginning of possibilities for the grain for which
we have the Irish to thank.

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There is evidence that before recorded history, oatmeal porridge was a staple in Europe and recognized as a characteristically Irish food.

Over the years, it has quietly been eaten for breakfast in homes across the U.S., until Starbucks brought it to the national foodservice spotlight when it added oatmeal to its menus in 2008. Along came McDonald’s with Fruit & Maple Oatmeal in January 2011, and the breakfast scramble was on.

Now, oatmeal is everywhere, and in danger of stalling if it doesn’t morph in another direction, says Suzy Badaracco, president of trend-forecasting company Culinary Tides Inc., Portland, Ore. She adds that oats and other whole grains are the rock stars of the health research world—easily and naturally added to recipes without competing for flavor.

START THE DAY
Oats and oatmeal have a long life ahead, given that they
are also the foundation of granola and muesli. But as to
porridge, the economical breakfast menu item no eatery
should be without, everyone has a favorite version.
Badaracco suggests simmering the oats in almond milk
and adding agave nectar and/or superfruits. “Do more fun
things with it for the morning daypart,” she says.

Working in the business and industry sector for Aramark as chef/manager of the dining facility at Citigroup on Wall Street in New York, Matthew Babbage, CEC, notes that office employees gobble up oatmeal. As the New Year is well underway, it seems that healthy eating is on everyone’s resolution list—judging by the amount of oatmeal he goes through each day.

“No longer do they just add brown sugar and milk, they add granola, Craisins or raisins, agave syrup, molasses. It’s not your typical oatmeal,” Babbage says. His personal favorite is the combination of oatmeal, almond butter and blueberries. The almonds have a good, roasted flavor, and there’s no need to add sugar. “Overall, oatmeal is a comfort food [consumers] have that they don’t even realize.” But for chefs to give oatmeal the “comfort food” spin in developing new ideas and recipes is not the right move, Badaracco says. “Comfort is for wartime or an economic crisis. Comfort goes away when we’re feeling better and brightening up. It’s time to go a little crazy. We’re experimental and playful now.” She also advises keeping regional or global flavor profiles authentic to the area and not “Americanizing” them.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: 1) Oatmeal shakes at Tiztal Café. 2) Black bean/porridge patties, appropriate for an appetizer or main dish. 3) Fruit and almonds dress morning porridge. 4) Savory oat fritters are Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods’ take on arancini.