Last time I was in Dublin, I had breakfast at Brother Hubbard, a lovely little spot on the North side. I went for their home-made Bircher muesli, and have been dreaming about it ever since. So I finally got down to Googling what the hell Bircher muesli is (because does anyone really know?) and how I can make it at home. After reading through a few blog posts, BBC Good Food recipes and your standard visit to Mr. Oliver’s website, I felt like I’d pulled together a good idea of how to make it. I threw all of the ingredients in a bowl, left it in the fridge to soak overnight, and sat down in the morning to tuck in to my amazing, pre-prepared breakfast.
What I was eating was essentially a bowl of cinnamon-flavoured mush (you’ll note that the cinnamon has been firmly removed from the recipe below). It was pretty grim. So grim in fact that I actually through the whole thing out, along with my food-waste-related morals. I started again, and finally after some disappointment, questioning myself as a human being and a whole bag of apples, we’re there.
So please see below my actually tried and tested recipe for what I think is a jolly good Bircher muesli. As you’ll see, the actual prep time is minimal but you do need a few minutes for it to soak a little bit. For this reason, if I’m having this in the morning, I’ll get up and do it first thing, then get on with my other morning bits and bobs, or make it to go and eat it once I get to work. That’s the great thing about this breakfast; it’s wonderfully versatile, as there’s no milk to spill and it doesn’t need to stay hot.
Bircher Muesli
Ingredients (1 person)
- 40g rolled oats
- 40ml cloudy apple juice
- 1/2 or 1 full red apple, quartered and cored, skin on (I like Gala or Pink Lady apples but to be honest, any apple works here
For the toppings
This is totally down to personal taste, but I really like the combination below:
- handful of grapes (literally 5/6 will do)
- 1 kiwi, chopped
- 1 tsp bee pollen
- drizzle of honey
Bee pollen, you ask? That discussion is for another time, but for now here’s a good article. You can buy it online or in health food stores.
Method
- Pour the rolled oats into a mixing bowl
- Coarsely grate the apple into the same bowl
- Pour in the cloudy apple juice
- Mix like your life depends on it. No rolled oat should be left untouched.
- Leave to soak in the fridge whilst you shower/make coffee/talk to your cat etc (roughly 15 minutes)
- Scoop the mixture back into questionable glassware (I literally have no idea why I own this jar thing)
- Haphazardly add toppings to create nonchalant look
- Take picture for Instagram
- At some point, eat the bircher muesli
- Feel smug and healthy
So there’s my kind of all in one guide to a) mornings à la Morris and b) Bircher muesli, which isn’t actually muesli at all, but which does provide an all-round great morning boost, with some micronutrients and slow-release energy added in for good measure.
Let me know what you think in the comments!
TTFN
C