Oat Egg Pancake

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 50 g rolled oats
• 250 ml milk
• butter
• 50 g vegetables (optional, such as spinach)

Method

Blitz the oats into a coarse flour using a food processor or blender — this breaks down the cell walls and allows the oats to absorb milk evenly, giving you a batter that cooks through without remaining gritty. You're aiming for the texture of breadcrumbs, not powder. Pour 250 ml milk over the oats and stir until you have a thick slurry with no dry pockets. Let it sit for two minutes; the oats continue to hydrate and thicken as the starches cereals absorb liquid.

Whisk the two egg|eggs separately until the yolk and white are fully integrated — this aerates the mixture and ensures even cooking. Fold the eggs into the oat mixture with a spatula, turning the bowl rather than beating, until no streaks remain. The aim is to keep some of the air you've incorporated into the eggs. If using vegetables, shred spinach finely or slice softer greens thinly; add them now so they wilt into the batter rather than cooking separately on the surface.

Heat a 25 cm non-stick frying pan over medium heat and add roughly 10 g of butter — it should foam and turn pale gold, not brown. Pour the batter in and use a spatula to press it into a disc roughly 1 cm thick. This pan-frying process relies on contact between batter and hot metal; press firmly to ensure the base sets and colours. Within 90 seconds you'll see the underside turn golden and smell a faint nuttiness — that's the breakfast|oats toasting and the egg proteins beginning to set. Once the edges lose their wet shine, flip decisively. If the pancake breaks, you've either left it too long or the batter is too loose; add a tablespoon more oats next time.

Cook the second side for 90 seconds until it matches the first side's colour. The centre should yield slightly to pressure but not slosh — the residual heat will continue setting the egg proteins after you plate it. Serve at once with a splash of milk on the side or drizzled over the top; the coolness contrasts the warm oats and cuts the richness of the egg.