Savoury Oatmeal with Poached Egg, Crispy Shallots and Aleppo Pepper

Winter has arrived with a splash in Cape Town so I think my timing for sharing this recipe for Savoury Oatmeal with Poached Egg, Crispy Shallots and Aleppo Pepper is pretty spot on.

The inspiration for the recipe comes from an Instagram post by my friend Heidi Robb, a stylist and artist based in the USA. I met Heidi at the FoodPhoto Festival in Denmark in 2015, where I attended one of her workshops. We’ve stayed in touch via Instagram over the years, and have seen each other at every festival since. Her work is incredible (her work for Vitamix is jaw-droppingly beautiful), and it remains a dream of mine to spend a day on set and create images with her.

Heidi’s post was for savoury oatmeal “cacio e pepe”. Rolled oats cooked in chicken stock and loaded with pecorino and ground black pepper. At the end, she stirred in an egg yolk, olive oil, finished with more cheese and black pepper.

Heidi’s recipe reminded me of going to Grød, the famous “porridge only” cafe in Copenhagen. The menu consists only of porridge, sweet and savoury, with oats, grains and risottos forming the base of the dishes. I can still remember the “Grøddeller” – fried risotto patties – I had for lunch one day.

My version of the savoury oatmeal is pretty similar to Heidi’s. But I start off with some olive oil and then gently fry some garlic till soft. Add the oats and vegetable stock and cook for a few minutes until thickened and cooked through. Spoon it in a bowl and snuggle a soft poached egg in the porridge. Top with some crispy fried shallots, a generous grating of parmesan or pecorino cheese and a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper or chili flakes. An instant risotto of sorts. Delicious, quick, healthy comfort food in a bowl.

I hope you enjoy this recipe for Savoury Oatmeal with Poached Egg, Crispy Shallots and Aleppo Pepper. If you’ve made the recipe do share it by tagging @heinstirred on Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #heinstirred. It is always a treat to see the recipes made and enjoyed.

Savoury Oatmeal with Poached Egg, Crispy Shallots and Aleppo Pepper

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Ingredients

  

• Makes 1 portion
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic mashed
• 125 ml rolled oats
• 250 ml warm vegetable stock
• 1 poached egg
• 1 shallot thinly sliced and fried to crispy
• 60 ml grated parmesan cheese more to taste
• a pinch of Aleppo pepper or chili flakes
• sea salt flakes and ground black pepper to season

Instructions

 

• Heat the oil in a small saucepan
• Add the garlic and gently fry until soft
• Add the oats and stock and cook the oats for 5 minutes or so until thickened and cooked
• Spoon in a bowl and place the egg in the oats
• Sprinkle the crispy shallots and grated cheese and season with sea salt and pepper
• Add a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper or chili flakes and serve immediately