Name: Sous Vide Oatmeal
Total time: 16 h 15 min
Ingredients: Water; ¾ cup steel-cut oats; Salt

Why This Recipe Works

The traditional way of cooking steel-cut oats isn't hard, per se. But those hearty oats do need to simmer on the stove for some time, requiring a bit of babysitting. Even so-called overnight oats need 10 minutes of cooking in the morning. We decided to develop a hands-off method for steel-cut oats that would be ready to go right when you wake up. We knew we wanted to circulate the oats in individual 8-ounce wide-mouth Mason jars—because, hello, breakfast on the go! Circulating the oats with water alone in a moderate-temperature water bath sufficiently hydrated the grains, but we found these oats to be a little mushy. Why? Oats are abundant in pentosans, a group of naturally occurring gums that love water. These gums are responsible for the creaminess of hot cereal, but when overhydrated, the result is a mushy texture. Decreasing the amount of water helped. Adding a bit of salt resulted in oats with a pleasing bite. Like pentosans, salt loves water too. The salt competed with the gums for the water, and the result was a more toothsome cereal. In the end, all that science means you can have perfect oats, no mess and no babysitting required.

Before You Begin

Serve these oats with a little brown sugar and fresh fruit or some maple syrup and cinnamon. Do not substitute quick-cooking or rolled oats here. You will need four 8-ounce Mason jars for this recipe. Be careful not to overtighten the jars before placing them in the prepared water bath; that can cause the glass to crack. For more about sous vide cooking, refer to our sous vide guide.

Instructions

Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 155°F/68°C in 7-quart container.

Fill four (8-ounce) wide-mouth Mason jars with following ingredients: 9 tablespoons water, 3 tablespoons oats, and pinch salt. Seal jars (do not overtighten lids) and gently lower into prepared water bath until fully submerged. Cover and cook for at least 12 hours or up to 16 hours.

Remove jars from water bath. Stir oats until smooth and serve.

to make ahead

Cooked oats can be chilled rapidly in ice bath and then refrigerated for up to 5 days. To serve, microwave uncovered, stirring every 30 seconds, until oatmeal is warmed through and creamy, about 2 minutes.