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Water Gruel

A simple oatmeal gruel made by boiling oatmeal in water, seasoned with salt and butter.

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

Water Gruel

Ingredients

Directions

Cook the gruel

  1. Combine oatmeal and water in a pot, stirring well.

  2. Bring to a boil, stirring often for 3-4 times.

  3. Strain the mixture through a sieve.

Season and finish

  1. Add salt to taste and a large piece of fresh butter.

  2. Stir until the butter is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.

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 thickens the water as it heats, giving the gruel body.
Butter
Melts into the warm gruel, adding fat for richness and a smoother mouthfeel.

The step that matters

Bring to a boil, stirring often. Oatmeal is heavy and settles, so it can stick and scorch on the base of the pot. Frequent stirring keeps it dispersed and heats the starch evenly so it thickens smoothly.

“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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