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Water Gruel

A simple oatmeal gruel made by simmering oatmeal in water, then adding butter and salt.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 4 ingredients
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Water Gruel

Water Gruel

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Mix the oatmeal with a little water until smooth.

  2. Add the remaining water and stir well.

  3. Let it settle, then pour into a saucepan, leaving sediment behind.

Cook and serve

  1. Boil for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  2. Strain off the liquid, then add butter and salt before serving.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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 as it cooks, thickening the water into a porridge.
Butter
Adds fat for richness and a smoother, rounder mouthfeel.

The step that matters

Boil for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Oat starch can settle and scorch on the bottom of the pan. Occasional stirring keeps the porridge from sticking and helps it thicken evenly as the starch swells.

“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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