Overnight steel cut oats

I'm picky about my porridge. I won't eat the kind made from rolled oats, especially not (shudder!) those awful one-minute ones, which taste like glue. I adore the taste and texture from steel-cut oats, but there's no denying they're a lot more high-maintenance than the more quick-cooking varieties.

I've been searching for the perfect way to make steel-cut oats for some time. The key is advance preparation. In a pinch, you can simply make them 20 minutes before you want to eat: use one part steel cut oats to four parts water, bring to a boil, and simmer until the oats are softened and the water absorbed. But if you have 20 minutes to wait for breakfast in the morning, you're a more organized woman than I.

I tried a few times to make porridge in my slow cooker, but I didn't like it at all. The recipes always said the texture would be deliciously creamy, but for my taste it had just turned into glue. I like my oats to have a bit of bite.

This week, I figured out the perfect shortcut. You can prepare your oats the night before so that they cook gently in hot water and then cool down into perfectly cooked, perfectly textured porridge that you only need to heat up.

The trick is to put only three parts water for one part oats. Mix in a pot, stir, and bring to a boil. As soon as it's boiling, take the pot off the heat and clap a lid on it. Leave it overnight, and first thing in the morning, put it back on the stove over medium heat and let it heat through for a few minutes. Serve with the toppings of your choice--I like fresh or frozen fruit (it defrosts in the heat of the porridge) and a spoonful of plain yogurt. I grew up having milk and raw sugar on top, but my blood sugar can't handle sweet stuff in the morning these days. I'm told that the Scots are horrified by the thought of toppings on porridge. Oh well, I've only been there once.