Page:Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.djvu/1505

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Ingredients.—Oatmeal, salt, water.

Method.—There are several ways of making porridge. The one generally adopted—although by no means the best—is to sprinkle the oatmeal into boiling, slightly salted water with the left hand, meanwhile stirring briskly with a wooden spoon or wooden spatula. When the porridge is thick enough, the stewpan is drawn to the side of the fire, and the contents, slowly cooked from 20 to 30 minutes, being occasionally stirred to prevent it sticking to the bottom of the pan. A better method is to soak 4 oz. of oatmeal in 1½ pints of cold water overnight, and in the morning strain the water into a stewpan, and when boiling add the oatmeal, and salt to taste. Twenty minutes' gentle simmering will sufficiently cook it, and it must be well stirred during the process. Probably the best plan of all is to use a water-jacketed saucepan for making porridge, for it is always desirable to have oatmeal thoroughly cooked, and as the water in the outer pan obviates the necessity of frequent stirring, the porridge may, with little trouble, be cooked for 2 or 3 hours on the previous day, and reheated when required; a pinch of salt should always be added to the porridge. There are 3 varieties of oatmeal—coarse, medium, and fine; any kind may be used for making porridge, but coarse oatmeal is generally preferred.

Ingredients.—Cold oatmeal porridge, flour.

Method.—Into the cold porridge knead as much flour as will enable it to be rolled out ¾ of an inch thick. Cut in 3-cornered pieces, and bake on a greased griddle or in the oven. Serve hot, split, and buttered.

Time.—To bake, from 20 to 25 minutes. Average Cost, uncertain.

Ingredients.—Prepare and cook as maize meal porridge, No. 3148, using about 2 tablespoonfuls of pease meal, rather less than ½ a pint of water, 1 oz. of butter, and salt.

Ingredients.—Cold brose, or lentil porridge, breadcrumbs, herbs, onions, seasoning, flour, frying-fat.

Method.—Mix with the cold porridge about its own bulk in breadcrumbs. Add a little chopped onion and sweet herbs, and seasoning to taste. Shape the preparation into flat cakes, flour them, and fry a nice brown in the frying-pan.

Time.—10 minutes Average Cost, uncertain.