Breakfast and Brunch
Bircher Muesli (Swiss Overnight Oats)
Bircher muesli is a cold Swiss oat dish built around grated raw apple, developed by physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner around 1900 for patients at his Zurich clinic. Rolled oats soak overnight in yogurt, milk and apple juice with the grated apple and a squeeze of lemon, then get topped in the morning with fresh fruit, nuts and a drizzle of honey. Bircher-Benner himself, like Swiss recipes today, grated the apple in just before eating; this is the make-ahead version, with the apple soaked overnight alongside the oats. Unlike modern overnight oats, which center on the oats, Bircher muesli is built around the apple: it softens into the oats overnight and carries the flavor of the whole dish.
