Sesame-Crusted Oat Fritters with Chimichurri Dipping Sauce
Leftover bowls of oatmeal often have a sorry fate. They get hard, look even more inedible, and don't reheat well. But this unglamorous stage of oatmeal life is actually perfect for oatmeal fritters.
Roll into balls, fry them up, and watch the goo transform its humble identity. Since the wad of healthy-tasting grains needed a little bite, I made a chimichurri dipping sauce with fresh parsley, cilantro, and crushed red peppers.
This is part of my campaign to make oatmeal more accepted in the savory community.
Ball of leftover oatmeal, coated in cheese and sesame seeds, about to become a fritter.
Sesame-Crusted Oat Fritters with Chimichurri Dipping Sauce
- Makes about 5 fritters -
Ingredients
For fritters:
1 bowl oatmeal (This portion ranges, but an average bowl makes about 5 fritters)
1/2 cup grated cheese (I used a combo of Fontina, Asiago, and Parmesan)
5 tablespoon sesame seeds (About one tablespoon per fritter)
For chimichurri sauce:
- Adapted from Bon Appétit -
1 cup fresh parsley (packed)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro (packed)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
Procedure
1. Toast sesame seeds over medium-heat, shaking the pan regularly. If they stay put, the seeds will start jumping like popping popcorn. Set seeds aside.
2. Form leftover oatmeal into meatball-sized balls. Dip in shredded cheese (until covered), then dunk in toasted sesame seeds.
3. Grease skillet and once hot, start cooking balls for about ten minutes per side, flattening with a spatula as they cook. The cheese-sesame seed coating should get crispy.
4. As the fritters cook, prepare chimichurri sauce. Puree all of the above ingredients in a food processor (or a blender worked for me). Scoop out and serve with hot fritters.
5. Sprinkle fritters with a little sea salt. Salt really complements the natural oaty flavor. Topped with a poached egg, this would be even better.
Previously
Mark Bittman's Savory Oatmeal with Scallions and Soy Sauce
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5 Comments:
You made the chimichurri! Remind me why I didn't get any of this?
Oatmeal fritters, I name you "Irish arancini".
Michele Humes at 10:16AM on 02/19/09
I'm a new convert. Last night, I mixed peanut sauce, cilantro and scallions into a bowl of oatmeal and it was amazing!
homesicktexan at 12:22PM on 02/19/09
Oatmeal fritters...that's an interesting concept. Could have used this recipe last week when I started eating a bowl of oatmeal, got halfway through, and just couldn't finish it. I hate to waste perfectly good food, so something like this would have been perfect. The only thing is, I tend to like my oatmeal on the sweet side, so even though I love chimichurri sauce, I think I'd rather have some sort of sweet sauce. Maybe a fruit sauce of some kind? I'm going to have to think about that for awhile....
kimberlymac at 12:36PM on 02/19/09
Ooh, maybe a maple and chili dipping sauce, with salt!
BangieB at 7:12PM on 02/21/09
@kimberlymac.. I've made my oatmeal "sweet" all this time, too. Though with this recipe, I may err towards "neutral" and sweeten it with add-ons in my bowl. I'm rather curious to give this fritter a try. :)
grendel1097 at 8:15PM on 02/21/09