serves
2
prep
10 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
2
people
preparation
10
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Bircher muesli, traditionally, means oats soaked with fruit juice and grated apple so they soften into a sort of raw porridge. It’s one of my favourite breakfasts and I see no reason to confine it to the morning. You can make it in the morning and leave it soaking until lunchtime.
Ingredients
- 100 g chunk of celeriac
- 1 medium eating apple
- 100 g jumbo oats
- 50 g raisins or sultanas
- 50 g whole, skin-on almonds
- 50 g mixed seeds, such as sunflower, pumpkin and sesame (or just one type if you prefer)
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive or rapeseed oil
- juice of ½ lemon
- 200 ml cloudy apple juice
- sea salt and black pepper
Refrigeration time: 1 - 7 hours
Instructions
Slice the knobbly, grubby outer layer off the celeriac, revealing the creamy-white interior. Grate this coarsely into a large bowl.
Grate the apple into the bowl too. There’s no need to peel or cut the apple, just grate it on one side down to the core then turn it and grate the other side, and so on. Mix with the celeriac.
Add all the remaining ingredients, including a pinch of salt and a grinding of pepper. Mix together well, making sure the grated fruit and veg is well distributed.
If you’re going to be eating the bircher at home, cover the bowl and leave in the fridge for at least 1 hour, up to 6 or 7. Stir once or twice during that time if you can and let it come up to room temperature before eating. If you’re taking the muesli to work, divide it between a couple of plastic tubs, snap the lids on and it’s good to go – keep it cool until you’re ready to eat.
Notes
Try the following swaps:
• Roots - Try grated carrot or parsnip in place of celeriac – or beetroot, for a splendidly colourful Bircher!
• Dried fruit - Choose your favourite dried fruit here: chopped apricots, dried cherries, sliced dates and prunes are all good.
• Nuts - Replace the almonds with whole or roughly chopped hazelnuts, pecans or walnuts.
Recipe and image from by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (Bloomsbury, hb, $45.00).
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
Bircher muesli, traditionally, means oats soaked with fruit juice and grated apple so they soften into a sort of raw porridge. It’s one of my favourite breakfasts and I see no reason to confine it to the morning. You can make it in the morning and leave it soaking until lunchtime.
