Associate web editor Rochelle Bilow really loves breakfast. Sure, she’s a morning person by nature, but what she really digs about breakfast is that it’s an opportunity to start the day on the right foot. It’s a chance to eat something healthy, fast, and homemade. This week, she's ditching oatmeal for a hearty buckwheat porridge.
I have no beef with oatmeal. Steel-cut, rolled, overnight… whatever the variety, oats are fine and good. They certainly fill a sort of breakfast-y need. But I've always considered them to be more of a vehicle for toppings, add-ins, and mixers than the main event. Oats pale in comparison to the heady punch of brown sugar or maple syrup, toasted nuts, and dried fruit, like raisins, dates, or cranberries.
Buckwheat, on the other hand, is a revelation in and of itself. It's roasty and nutty-tasting, especially if you dry-toast it in a pan before simmering it. The groats are thick and chewy, and can stand up to being cooked without turning into a soft mush. Here's my method for cooking buckwheat porridge.
First, you'll want to make this in a big batch, so you can reheat the leftovers later in the week (never miss a chance to make things easier on yourself!). I start by soaking 1 cup of whole buckwheat groats in cold water overnight. This process softens them, shortening the cooking time later on. In the morning rinse, and drain the groats, then put them in a medium-sized sauce pot set over medium-high heat. Cook the groats, stirring them so they don't stick to the bottom of the pot, until toasty-smelling—about 2-3 minutes. Add half a cinnamon stick, a pinch of salt, and 2 and a half cups of milk, and bring to a gentle simmer. You could use water, but I like the sweetness that the dairy imparts.
Cover the pot and simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed, but the consistency is still loose. Remove the cinnamon stick and stir the buckwheat. Season to taste with the sweetener of your choice—the caramel-like flavor of demerara sugar is a great fit here, and so is molasses (but a little bit goes a long way). This is no meek or mushy porridge. It's a hearty, wholesome, stick-to-your-ribs affair that fills you up. That's exactly why I make it all fall and winter long, and why you should too.
Maple syrup + toasted pumpkin seeds + sea salt
Hot honey + raisins + chopped dates
Plain yogurt + puréed squash + nutmeg
Extra frothed milk + brown sugar