Oatmeal Porridge
Ingredients
Directions
Start the porridge
Boil 1 pint of water in a clean saucepan.
Sift 2-3 ounces of oatmeal into the boiling water, spreading it evenly to avoid lumps.
Boil briskly for 1-2 minutes to mix well.
Simmer
Reduce heat and simmer for 3-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning and lumps.
Stir until all starch granules are fully burst.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Oatmeal
- Its starch thickens the liquid into a porridge as the granules swell and burst when heated.
- Water
- Hydrates the oat starch so it can swell, forming the liquid base of the porridge.
The step that matters
Stirring during the simmer. Oats can scorch on the base of the pan and clump if left unstirred. Starch granules swell and burst as they heat in water, thickening the porridge; stirring keeps them dispersed evenly for a smooth result.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
More oatmeal porridge recipes
You might also like
Rice Gruel28 recipes
Peptoned Milk Gruel9 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.