To make oatmeal flummery is a traditional British recipe, based on Hannah Glasse's recipe of 1747, for a classic dessert of multiply-washed oat grains that are boiled until thickened and sweetened before serving. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: To make oatmeal flummery.
(click this button to prevent the screen from sleeping so Cook Mode is 'ON')
This is a traditional British recipe redacted from Hannah Glasse's 1747 volume The Aft of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, the classic Georgian cookbook.
To make oatmeal flummery.
Get ſome oatmeal, put it into a broad deep pan, then cover it with water, ſtir it together, and let it ſtand twelve hours, then pour off that water clear, and put on a good deal of freſh water, ſift it again in twelve hours, and ſo on in twelve more ; then pour off the water clear, and ſtrain the oatmeal through a coarſe hair ſieve, and pour it into a ſauce-pan, keeping it ſtirring all the time with a ſtick till it boils and is very thick ; then pour it into diſhes ; when cold turn out into plates, and eat it with what your pleaſe, either wine and ſugar, or beer and ſugar, or milk. It eats very pretty with cyder and ſugar.
You muſt obſerve to put a great deal of water to the oatmeal and when you pour off the laſt water, pour on juſt enough freſh as t oſtrain the oatmeal well. Some let it ſtand forty-eight hours ſome three days, ſhifting the water every twelve hours ; but that is as you love it for ſweetneſs or tartneſs. Gruts once cut does better than oatmeal. Mind to ſtir it together when you put in freſh water.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
200g oatmeal
Method:
Place the oatmeal in a broad, deep, pan and cover with water. Stir to mix then allow to stand for 12 hours. After this time pour off the liquid then re-cover the oatmeal with fresh water and allow to stand for 12 hours more. Again, decant the water then cover the oats and allow to stand for 12 hours more.
At the end of this time remove the water, turn the oatmeal into a sieve, allow to drain then scrape them into a saucepan. Add just enough water to almost cover then heat and, stirring continually, cook until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken. Add more water, if needed (you are looking for a thick paste) then pour into serving dishes. Top with wine sweetened with sugar, beer sweetened with sugar, cider sweetened with sugar or milk and serve immediately.
For more information on the origins and development of flummery recipes over the years, see this page on Flummery.
