is a variation of porridge, made from finely ground oatmeal, which is mixed with water or milk, allowed to soak, and then cooked. Eventually the solids are strained out of the mixture; there is some disagreement as to whether or not this should take place before or after cooking. The result is smooth, and jellies when cold. It was prepared as suitable and nourishing food for invalids; tiresome Mr Woodhouse in Emma by Jane Austen seemed to eat little else. Salt, sugar, honey, or ‘with the medical man's permission, a dessert-spoonful of brandy, or a table-spoonful of wine may be added’, according to Delamere and Delamere (1868).
The name gruel is derived from the French gruau, which means finely ground flour. Medieval gruels might contain vegetables, herbs, or meat, such as ‘drawn gruel’, which contained the juices drawn from cooked beef, or ‘forced gruel’, mixed with pounded pork. Other versions were sweet, containing dried fruit, sugar, and butter; or medicinal, with herbs to purify the blood. The Scots regarded gruel as good for coughs and colds.
Laura Mason has written about several aspects of British food in books including Sugar Plums and Sherbet (1998), Farmhouse Cookery (2005), and Traditional Foods of Britain (1999), which she co-authored with Catherine Brown.
