Catholic Recipe: Frumenty I

Frumenty is a kind of porridge made from wheat boiled in milk. The recipe can be found in Medieval cookbooks, but it is thought that the dish may even date back to prehistoric times. Although it is one of the oldest dishes in the world, frumenty still makes a delicious, warming breakfast for our times.

This dish is traditionally served at Christmas and also on Passion Sunday.

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot bring the water to the boil then add the wheat. Simmer until the wheat is soft enough to eat. Next morning add the milk (or the mixture of milk and cream) and the brown sugar or honey. Warm it up on the stove for a few minutes, stirring well, and then serve with dried or stewed fruit. (Tip: for a 1990s variation on frumenty for lunch or dinner, try cooking some rice with your wheat. Just remember though that the wheat takes longer to cook than the rice.)