How to Prepare Arrow-root
Ingredients
Directions
Mix a dessert-spoonful of arrow-root with half a gill of cold water.
Pour the mixture into a small saucepan containing nearly half a pint of boiling water, four lumps of sugar, and a glass of wine.
Stir the arrow-root while it is boiling on the fire for a few minutes.
Give the mixture to the patient.
Ensure all ingredients are boiled together.
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.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Arrow-root (in the method)
- Thickens the hot liquid as its starch swells, giving a smooth, slightly glossy texture.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the syrup and balances the flavour of the liquid.
The step that matters
Stir the arrow-root while it boils. Arrow-root thickens only when its starch reaches a boil and swells. Stirring while it boils keeps the starch dispersed, so it thickens evenly without lumps.
“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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