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Oatmeal Gruel

A simple oatmeal gruel made by soaking oats in cold water, then boiling the water and seasoning.

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

Oatmeal Gruel

Ingredients

Directions

Soak the oatmeal

  1. Combine the oatmeal and cold water in a basin.

  2. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Strain and cook

  1. Strain the mixture into an enamelled pan, leaving the oatmeal as dry as possible.

  2. Heat the strained water over the fire and bring it to a boil for 6 minutes.

  3. Season to taste, and add wine or butter if desired.

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

Fine oatmeal
Its starch and flavour soften into the water, giving the gruel body and an oaty taste.
Butter
Optional fat that adds richness and a smooth, rounded mouthfeel to the finished gruel.

The step that matters

Leaving the oatmeal as dry as possible when straining. Pressing hard on the soaked oatmeal forces fine particles and extra starch through the strainer, which can make the gruel cloudy and gritty rather than clear and smooth.

“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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