Asian Oat Risotto

Yes, it is risotto made out of oats. We have taken our risotto obsession to a new level of strangeness. First there was Thai risotto, then orzo risotto, we also tried risottos with different kinds of rice and pasta and now... oats! Originally, Tucker was inspired by this recipe in our Food and Wine cookbook, then I saw Cheap Healthy Good's discussion of Mark Bittman's post on savory oatmeal. We decided to combine the two and give it a try. And MAN, was it delicious! Yes, it looks and sounds really strange, but just trust me and try it out, it tastes nothing like oatmeal, and really not quite like risotto either.

Asian Oat Risotto
Adapted from Food and Wine and Mark Bittman

Ingredients
1 cup steel cut rolled oats
3-5 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 onion, chopped

1 tablespoon scallions for stirring, 1 teaspoon for garnish
A couple shakes of sea salt

Instructions
In a large saucepan, oil. Add onion and ginger cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the oats and cook for 1 minute. Add 1 cup of the stock and all of soy sauce and simmer over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until nearly absorbed. Continue cooking the oats, adding 1 cup of stock at a time and cooking until the liquid is nearly absorbed between additions. The risotto is done when the oats are chewy-tender and suspended in a thick sauce, about 25 minutes total. Season with salt and white pepper. Stir scallion. Transfer the risotto to bowls, sprinkle with the remaining scallions and serve