Fried Oatmeal with Blueberry-Pear Sauce

Yep, I said fried.  It's the south and what don't we fry?  But in any case, it's a new way to serve an old favorite.

Fried Oatmeal with Blueberry-Pear Sauce

Oatmeal

3 cups water
1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups steel-cut Irish oatmeal (not instant)
cooking spray
butter, for frying

Blueberry-Pear Sauce

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
12 oz fresh blueberries
1/2 cup peeled chopped pear (about half of a pear)
1/2 tsp lemon zest

To make the oatmeal, combine water, milk, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a deep saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Stir in the oatmeal and let it come to a boil again.  Reduce heat and allow to thicken, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes.  You want the oatmeal to be gelatinous before moving to the next step. Not a pretty word, but apt.

Spray a 9 x 13" pan (or 8 x 12"), then pour the oatmeal in.  Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or until set.

To make the sauce, bring the sugar and water to a boil.  Add in the fruit and bring to a boil again. 

Reduce heat, add in lemon zest and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Transfer sauce to a ceramic bowl and bring to room temperature.

While the sauce is cooling, take the pan of oatmeal out and cut the oatmeal into rectangles, then cut them into triangles.

Heat 1-2 tbsp of butter in a frying pan over medium high heat and when it starts to bubble, add the oatmeal triangles in.  Cook 3-4 minutes per side until browned.

Transfer the cooked triangles to a warming dish until all the sections are done.

Arrange on a plate, cover with the sauce and sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Breakfast is ready!

NOTES

The difference between steel cut oats and rolled oats is the texture; steel cut are granular while rolled oats are flat.

Irish oatmeal are not inexpensive, but you can find non-instant generic steel cut oats for a slightly lower price.