After the treacle toffee episode, I can't remember much about my new found cooking prowess until about 1967.
I left home before I was 16 to join the Royal Air Force. So for quite a few years there was no call for me to cook for myself. That was done for us in one Mess or another. Mostly, RAF food was quite palatable. Except maybe a fried egg. There must have been a government instruction manual "1000 ways how NOT to fry an egg" the mess would manage all 1000. Would you believe that, if the egg fell off of your plate it would bounce back, no problem. The edges burnt to crisp and the Y(j)oke still raw that was another favourite. That's another life for another time.
After training near Wolverhampton my first posting was RAF Scampton near Lincoln, the home of the famous Dam Busters. There really is a well looked after grave for Guy Gibson's dog "Nigger". A lot of guys didn't like Scampton but I thought it was fine, a bit desolate at times. Life was a new adventure for me, a smooth faced 17 years old. Quite a novelty to all those lonely Lincolnshire village girls. It was time for me learn the ways of the world.
Then a serious set back. A year in Bahrain. In 1966/7 it was nothing like it is now. I got back into playing football and rugby, which probably kept me sane while being in Bahrain. Which helped when I got back to the UK. I was posted to RAF Colerne near Bath. In 1967 if you couldn't enjoy yourself in Bath there was something seriously wrong with you.
My cooking prowess once again came to the fore.
Guys! If there is one thing I've learnt during my varied life it is that girls love to be looked after. Cooking for them certainly is one certain way to pile up the smarty points.
Girls! I'm afraid guys just expect it from you.
My first meal for seduction was very simple. No need for a Wok. I'd never heard of them then.
Grilled pork chop (kidney attached) mushrooms and tomatoes with new potatoes (from a tin). Probably a pudding but I can't remember that. This was meant to be a meal before going to a movie (don't ask me which one, it'll be on TCM now). The meal had it's desired effect, we nearly missed the movie. Thinking about it, it may have been a "Man from Uncle" film.
A Proper meal now. While at RAF Colerne I shared a flat in Bath with a couple of RAF friends. Unheard of in the RAF those days. We were meant to live our life on the base. If you know where Colerne is, you'll know why we wanted to be off of the camp?
As well as being out living it up most nights, we worked in a bar called the "Parrot Bar". Anybody of the right age who'd been to Bath in the 1960’s will know it well. As well as playing football on Saturdays and Wednesdays and the occasional game of Rugby even some Sundays.
To keep ourselves fed for the week, over the weekend we would cook a monster stew, usually lamb. This would be left on the stove all week, heated up whenever we had the need to eat. Mostly around midnight. Every few days we would add a few more vegetables and some meat. "Wha' d'ya mean" sounds awful? It worked for us and improved during the week. I had read somewhere, a good slug of gin would act as a preservative. We always had a bottle of gin on hand.
A Lads Lamb stew Recipe.
Amounts depend on the size of your pan or Wok
INGREDIENTS
Neck of Lamb, or cheap lamb chops or both.
Best if fried a little in not too much oil to fry off some of the fat. Or boil in water for a few minutes and skim of the sludge you get on top of the water
Half cup of Pearl Barley, soaked in boiling water
Carrots, not too many. I think they make it too sweet,
Any other root vegetable, I do feel they can make it too sweet though,
Onion, or Onions. Stick or two of celery
Sage, Thyme and Rosemary dry or fresh, what ever your fancy, amount to your taste
White wine, what's left in an unfinished bottle.
You can put in a light beer or lager. But I'd rather drink'm
Stock of your choice, homemade, cubes or packet
Tin of tomatoes if you fancy a tomatoey taste
White Wine and the slug of gin.
METHOD
Soak the pearl barley in boiled water while you're preparing the ingredients.
Prepare all the ingredients, just like the TV cooks have done for them
Trim off the excess fat from the lamb. It can be too fatty.
Fry the onion till just going opaqueish, not burnt.
Fry the lamb in with the onion till browning slightly.
Season with fresh ground pepper, salt if you really must. I try to keep salt to a minimum.
There's plenty of salt in bought stock and cubes.
Then put everything else in your pan or WOK. Cook as low as you can for as long as you can.
Don't finish off the bottle of wine and forget it though.
This is where having a Slow Cooker come into it's own.
This can keep you going all week with fresh crusty bread or mash potato.
