Oatmeal Gruel
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no cooking times; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.
Cook the porridge
In a pot, bring water to a boil.
Add oatmeal and salt.
Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve
Serve warm.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Oatmeal
- Its starch swells in hot water and thickens the liquid into a creamy, porridge-like texture.
- Water
- Hydrates the oats, so the starch can swell and form the body of the porridge.
The step that matters
Simmer and stir. Oats settle and stick to the bottom of the pot, where they can scorch. Stirring occasionally keeps the mixture even and prevents lumps and burnt flavour while the starch thickens.
“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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