Bircher muesli

• 1 cuprolled oats · certified gluten-free if needed
• 1 cupmilk of choice · dairy, oat or almond
• 1/2 cupplain Greek yogurt · plus more to serve
• 2 mediumapples · grated coarsely with the skin on, just before mixing
• 1 tbsplemon juice · to stop the apple browning
• 1/2 tspground cinnamon
• 2 tbsphazelnuts or almonds · toasted and chopped
• 1 tbsphoney or maple syrup · optional, most of the sweetness comes from the apple
• toppings · fresh berries, a spoon of yogurt and extra nuts to serve

Method

1. 1

   Bircher muesli is not just overnight oats

   The dish was invented around 1900 by Swiss physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner, and the fresh grated apple is the whole point, not an optional topping. Soaking oats in milk gives you plain overnight oats; folding in raw grated apple and yogurt is what makes it Bircher. Get the apple right and the rest is forgiving.

2. 2

   Soak the oats overnight, not just for an hour

   Combine the oats, milk and yogurt in a container, cover, and leave them in the fridge for at least six hours or overnight. That long soak is what softens the oats into something creamy and spoonable, with no cooking. A quick soak leaves them chalky in the middle.

3. 3

   Grate the apple at the last minute, with the skin on

   Grate the apple in the morning, right before serving, and fold it through. Grate it the night before and it turns brown and loses its fresh, juicy character. Leave the skin on for fiber and colour, and use a firm, sweet-tart apple like Gala, Braeburn or Pink Lady.

4. 4

   Toss the grated apple in lemon juice

   A tablespoon of lemon juice over the grated apple keeps it pale and adds a brightness that stops the whole bowl tasting flat and milky. This is the small step that separates a Bircher that looks appetising from one that looks like it has been sitting out.

5. 5

   Let the apple do the sweetening

   Two grated apples sweeten four servings naturally, so taste before you reach for honey. If your apples are tart or you like it sweeter, stir in a tablespoon of honey or maple at the end, but keep it small. Traditionally a little sweetened condensed milk was used; a spoon of yogurt and ripe fruit does the same job with far less sugar.

6. 6

   Loosen it in the morning

   Soaked oats keep thickening overnight, so the mix will look stiff by morning. Stir in a splash of cold milk or a little extra yogurt to bring it back to a soft, creamy, spoonable texture before you add the apple. Adjust to how loose you like it.

7. 7

   Toast the nuts and add them at the end

   Hazelnuts or almonds, toasted in a dry pan for a few minutes until fragrant, then chopped, add the crunch and richness that define good Bircher. Stir them in just before serving so they stay crisp rather than going soft in the soak.

8. 8

   Finish with fresh fruit and a spoon of yogurt

   Top each bowl with fresh berries, a little more grated or sliced apple, an extra spoon of yogurt and the toasted nuts. This is where a plain fridge breakfast turns into something you actually look forward to, and it uses whatever fruit is best that week.