Personal Shopper

• 1 cup steelcut oats
• 3 cups cold water or whole milk or some combination thereof
• kosher or sea salt
• unsalted butter
• cream
• brown sugar

Steps

1. If you prefer a deeper, more complex flavor, dry-toast the oats in the cooking pot over high heat, stirring and tossing constantly, until lightly toasted and fragrant, then remove from heat and proceed.
2. If making overnight oats, combine oats and water/milk in a medium saucepan or 3-quart saucier and let stand, covered, overnight (if using milk, let the oats soak in the refrigerator overnight).
3. If not making overnight oats, combine oats and water/milk in the saucepan and proceed with cooking immediately.
4. Bring oats and water/milk to a simmer over medium-high heat, seasoning lightly with a pinch of salt.
5. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook uncovered, stirring frequently but slowly, until porridge is well-thickened but still flows slightly — about 5 minutes for overnight oats and about 20 minutes for unsoaked oats.
6. If oats are still too firm to your taste, stir in additional water 1/4 cup (60 ml) at a time and continue cooking until desired texture is reached.
7. Scoop porridge into warmed bowls and top with a pat of butter and/or a splash of cream.
8. Sprinkle brown sugar on top and serve.