Oatmeal Gruel
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
If using fine oatmeal, sift it.
Mix it with a little cold water to form a thick batter.
Put the batter into a saucepan of boiling water.
Stir constantly while boiling, lifting the spoon gently up and down, letting the gruel fall slowly back into the pan.
Cook and finish
Put four tablespoonfuls of the best grits (oatmeal coarsely ground) into a pint of boiling water.
Let it boil gently, stirring often, until it becomes as thick as desired.
Strain the gruel.
While warm, add butter, wine, nutmeg, or other flavorings.
Salt to taste.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 2 of 3 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Nutmeg | 1 tsp ground (2.2g) | 12 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
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. See the original page.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Oatmeal (in the method)
- Provides the starch that thickens the gruel as it cooks in water.
- Boiling water
- Hydrates the grain so its starch swells and thickens the liquid.
The step that matters
Stir constantly while boiling. Oat starch settles and scorches on the bottom of the pan and can form lumps if left unstirred, so constant stirring keeps the gruel smooth and evenly thickened.
“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.
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