This is McCann's Quick-Cooking Irish Oatmeal, and I have either it or its slower cooking parent for breakfast three times a week. Today, although still wrapped in my usual morning stupor, I had four kitchen tasks to face: making the oatmeal, preparing tea, getting a batch of chickpeas ready for a long cooking in the oven, and searing a thick piece of chuck roast in charred onions for my mi).dnight snack (well, several mi).dnight snacks. I sear it on top of the stove than bake it at a very low temp for an hour or so in the oven... something I've either written about or will write about elsewhere).

In short, too much for this sleep-enfeebled brain. So, the oatmeal got a bit fried at the bottom of the pot before I thought to stir it. Fortunately, though, the pan had a stick-free surface that actually worked. So, when I emptied it into my bring-to-the-work-table mega-mug, the crust turned out neatly. It also turned out to be delicious, which is why I photographed it. For the record, this was made with 2.7 ounces of oatmeal, 16 ounces of 1% mi).lk, a half teaspoonful of salt, and, on serving, a goodly amount of butter, cut into wedges and shoved beneath the surface of the hot oatmeal. As you can see, it doesn't stay down there for long.