Cook the berries for 15 minutes in the water - until they are quite soft. Press through a fine strainer; add to the fruit juice the sugar and the vanilla scraped out of a slit bean, bring to a boil in a non-reactive pot, and reduce while stirring vigorously. Add the dissolved cornstarch to the sweetened fruit juice. Bring to a boil once more, then transfer the 'Rodegruett' to a glass baking dish that has been rinsed with cold water. Chill in the refrigerator and serve.

Nowadays it is more customary to serve 'Rodegruett' in individual bowls rather than a giant family-size trencher. Serve with cream, cold milk, or cold Vanilla Sauce which only should be poured over the 'groats' before you're ready to eat.

Make sure the 'groats' are not too thick. The correct consistency is somewhere between that of a pudding and a puree (like thick pea soup). When you first taste 'Rodegruett' made according to these specifications, it may easily seem too sweet or the berry flavor may seem a little overwhelming. However, bear in mind that after the 'groats' have cooled off a bit and milk or cream has been poured over them, the taste will be considerably milder.

Some or all of the strained berry pulp may be replace with an equivalent amount of fruit juice, and quick-frozen berries or preserves will do just about as well as fresh ones. Cherries, morellos (sour cherries), and black currants are often used instead of or in addition to red currants and raspberries. Many cooks like to hold back some portion of the berries until after the straining so they don't cook down like the others and you can still taste them while eating the dish.

Tapioca is often used as a binding agent, and there are those who maintain that this is the only 'authentic' method of making 'Rodegruett'. In Saxony and East Prussia, red griats have been made with farina (semolina) for a number of years now, and since the words for farina ('Griess') and groats ('Gruetze') are closely related, sometimes even used interchangeably, it is no less possible that this is in fact the 'original' version. All questions of authenticity aside, a deluxe fortified 'Rodegruett' can be made by stewing the berries in red wine or with some higher-proof alcoholic beverage.

Schuster/Poseidon Press, New York. 1989 Posted by: Karin Brewer, Cooking Echo, 8/92