1953

“Europeans” living in Africa and Asia, after about four years of hard work, used to take a long vacation to visit their homeland, the so-called “home leave”. Before World War II, home leaves lasted for nine months!  The reasons for this long duration being, that sea voyages were slow and tedious, that  people should be given the appropriate  time to recover from any ill affects of a tropical climate, and enjoy their vacation.   In the early 1960s, when passenger jet airliner flights became affordable and popular, traveling home by sea became a misty memory, and home leave was cut short to three months.     

My first “home leave”, accompanying my parents on a sea voyage, was when I was a baby.   The second was when I was almost four and nearly drowned in the swimming pool. The third was when I was eight and a quite a horror.  Once, I ensconced myself behind an armchair with a book and was lost for hours, my poor parents nearly went berserk. When we returned to India, after the war, I was an awkward young teenager, naïve, shy and concerned.

In mid-May, 1953 my parents and I boarded Anchor Line R.M.S. CILICIA, sailing from Karachi to Liverpool.  We were taking a long home leave to Greece, via Great Britain and the Continent.  Our friends came to bid us bon voyage.  Farewells and embraces and then anchors aweigh!   This was my first sea voyage as a young adult, and I was determined to enjoy it. A 15-day cruise on a wonderful ship, without a care in the world!

The first few days we all felt awfully sea sick, except my father.  But after Aden, we sailed into a calm Red Sea, on to Port Said and through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean.  The weather was beautiful; with the tiniest whiffs of breeze by day and a moon that kept us company by night.   We swam, enjoyed wonderful meals, went to the “pictures” to see the latest films, played bingo, bridge and danced to exhaustion.   We made new friends that we would never meet again after landing.  Cruise friendships.   But the highlight of the entertainment programme was a Fancy Dress Ball, held on the 13^th night, with great success.

And a few sad, nostalgic lines from the web:

“In 1980 R.M.S. CILICIA was towed to Bilbao for breaking up…..For this final voyage she was still in Anchor Line Colours.” 

This was a very popular gourmet dish, served on the R.M.S. CILICIA. The recipe must have been something like this:

BOILED LOBSTER BRUSHED WITH ASPIC

1½ -1¾ kg (3 – 3½ lb) lobster or 2 lobsters of equal size

Wine Court Bouillon:

2 celery stalks, sliced

2 carrots, sliced

1 large onion, sliced

1 sprig thyme

1 bay leaf

3-4 parsley sprigs

½ litre (2 cups) dry white wine

1½ litre (6 cups) water

2 tbsp salt

2 tsp black peppercorns

Aspic:

250 ml (1 cup) hot court bouillon, strained

1 envelope (1 tbsp) gelatine powder

6 tbsp iced water

4 tbsp white wine

A few drops of lemon juice or more, if preferred

Lemon mayonnaise:

375 ml (1½ cups) homemade mayonnaise or use any well known brand

Lemon juice according to choice

½ tsp finely grated lemon rind

Mix everything together

Garnish:

1- 2 black truffles, thinly sliced

Baby courgettes and carrots drizzled with olive oil and lemon dressing

Cherry tomatoes

Parsley
Chives, 6-8 stalks snipped

Place the vegetables into a large fish kettle, add the herbs, salt, peppercorns and the liquids and bring to the boil.  Simmer gently for about ½ hour.

Make the aspic by placing the gelatine in iced water for 10 minutes.  Pour the gelatine mixture into the hot court bouillon and mix very well together until the gelatine dissolves.  Then add the wine and the lemon juice and place the aspic over hot water, to keep it liquid.

Meanwhile tie a few chopsticks, securely, around the lobster/lobsters with kitchen string, in order to keep it/them flat. (I’m continuing in the singular.)  Place the lobster  in the fish kettle, and cover it completely with the strained court bouillon.  Bring  to the boil and simmer for about ½ an hour for one lobster and 20 minutes for two. Hold under a running tap, until completely cold.  Discard the string and the chopsticks and wipe the lobster dry.

Place the lobster on its stomach and remove the part of the shell that is just over the tail, with kitchen scissors. Keep cutting along both sides in order to remove the stomach part of the shell. Continue cutting through a depression which surrounds the head.  Cut and remove a strip of shell near the head.  Remove the tail meat in one peace and with a small, sharp knife make a shallow incision, lengthwise and remove and discard the intestine canal.

Slice the lobster into thick medallions, brush them lavishly with the liquid aspic and garnish each with a truffle slice.  Place the medallions, in one layer, in a covered dish in the refrigerator.

Discard the stomach part of the shell.   Also discard the gravel sack from the head. Wash both the hard shell and the head, wipe them dry and place them in a bag in the fridge.  Also try to extract meat from the claws which is, incidentally, delicious.   As it’s difficult to avoid breaking the claws, just place them whole, in the bag with the shells.

Two hours before your guests arrive, remove all you need from the fridge.   Place a large serving dish and the liquid aspic on the kitchen table.  Reconstruct the lobster on a bed of parsley, and with a little aspic stick the medallions attractively over the shell.  Arrange the baby courgettes, the baby carrots and the cherry tomatoes in separate piles, and sprinkle with chopped parsley and snipped chives.    Serve the lobster with a potato salad the lemon mayonnaise.    

The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II took place on the 2^nd June 1953.

The 25-year-old Queen had already ascended on the throne after the death of her father, King George II, in February 1952.   The Coronation Ceremony was delayed as a period of mourning had to be strictly kept, according to tradition.

Apparently, sixteen moths of meticulous planning and preparation took place, so that the ceremony would proceed without the slightest flaw, the smallest hitch.   It was the first major event that was televised, in black and white, by the B.B.C. The Ceremony took place at the Westminster Abbey and was shown to millions of spectators in the United Kingdom and films were flown all over the world, almost beating time.

I revert to my story.  We landed in Liverpool on the 1^st or 2^nd of June 1953.   We booked in a hotel, and walked around to see the city.  We stopped to look at an  interesting, old church, when a clergyman came out of the garden gate and said.  “We have a television set, do come in and watch the Coronation Ceremony”.  Of course we accepted, and we sat there among twenty strangers, who were talkative, jubilant and very proud of their young Queen.

With eyes glued to the screen, we watched the royal procession being greeted at the Westminster Abbey by the high officers of the State, the high ecclesiastics that would perform the Coronation and the nobles appointed to carry the regalia, all dressed in magnificent robes. The Queen wore an elegant white, dress, by Norman Hartnell, which was beautifully embroidered with emblems of the Empire.    Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh stood handsome and composed next to his young wife.  

The Coronation ceremonial rites lasted about 2½ hours.  After being given the four symbols of authority, the orb, the sceptre, the rod of mercy and royal ring of sapphires and rubies, the Archbishop of Canterbury placed St. Edward’s Crown on the Queen’s head and completed the ceremony.  The congregation shouted “Long Live the Queen” and their stentorian voices echoed loud in the streets of London and all over the country: “Long Live the Queen”, “Long Live the Queen”. The whole nation rejoiced and celebrated.

We left Liverpool for London and stayed in a hotel in Kensington.   For about a month the atmosphere was  exuberant, and wherever we went, the question was always the same: “Did you watch the Coronation?”    In restaurants, dishes were renamed as “Coronation Chicken” or “Buckingham Treacle Tart” or “Crown Apple Crumble”.   Needless to say, that “Queen of Puddings” was very, very trendy in Great Britain, in 1953.

Here are a few recipes of traditional British dishes, renamed to match that year:

ROYAL DOVER SOLE

 Dover sole is highly esteemed for its delicate, succulent flesh, with which, delicious dishes can be prepared, with very few ingredients.  This old-fashioned recipe could have been served, sixty-one years ago, in Coronation England.

4 x 500 g (1 lb) Dover soles, cleaned and skinned

5 tbsp butter, melted

2 eggs, beaten

3 cups fine, dried breadcrumbs, seasoned with salt, pepper + a pinch of each, nutmeg

                                                                                                      and ginger powder

Lemon juice

Lemon slices and parsley twigs

Pat the soles completely dry and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.  Mix the eggs with 1 tbsp of melted butter, very well together.

Dip both sides of the soles in the egg mixture, press into the seasoned breadcrumbs and place into a buttered dish.  Dribble the remaining butter around the fish and sprinkle it, evenly, with the remaining breadcrumbs.   Cook the soles in an oven, preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 8-10 minutes or until the fish flakes, turning over once.

Serve the Dover sole sprinkled with lemon juice and garnished with parsley and lemon slices.

 CORONATION ROAST BEEF

Today, I would rub the meat all over with half a garlic clove and place sprigs of rosemary on top of the fat, to give the dish extra taste and savour.   Of course, in those days nobody touched garlic.

2½ kg (5 lb) sirloin of beef

Freshly ground black pepper to taste 

Rub the meat all over with pepper and place it, fat side up, in a deep roasting tin and roast it in an oven, preheated to the highest level, for 20 minutes.   Then lower the heat to 180 C (350 F) and roast the beef, until it is cooked according to preference.  

My English friends tell me to allow 15 minutes per 500 g (1 lb) for undercooked   (rare) meat and 20 minutes per 500 g (1 lb) for medium.   Some say that roast beef should be basted frequently, others insist that it shouldn’t be touched during the cooking period.  But they all agree that it should be served underdone.  So when the meat is cooked to perfection, transfer it to a heated dish and let it rest for15 minutes, before carving.

  

YORKSHIRE PUDDING

  

Yorkshire pudding is the absolute partner for roast beef.

  

2 eggs, well beaten

120 g (4 oz) plain flour

A scarce tsp salt

250 ml (1 cup) milk + a little more, if necessary

2 tbsp cold water

2 tbsp of meat dripping for baking or any other cooking fat.

Sift the flour in a bowl, make a well in the centre, pour in the eggs, half the milk and the salt and beat until smooth.  Add the remaining milk and water and stir until well combined.   Place the batter in a jug, cover and put aside to rest for at least 30 minutes, in the fridge.

Heat the oven to the highest level.  Add 2 tbsp of dripping into a 25 cm (10 inch) square tin and place it in the oven until the fat splutters.  Take the batter to the oven and pour it in the sizzling tin.   Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 180 C (350 F) and bake for 15 minutes more until the pudding is puffed, crisp and golden. Divide into squares and serve immediately.

  

HORSE-RADISH SAUCE

Another must for roast beef.

4 tbsp bottled horse-radish strained and squeezed completely dry

2 tsp vinegar

1½ tsp sugar

¼ tsp mustard powder

Salt and white pepper (about ½ tsp of each)

250 ml (1 cup) iced thick cream or a little more, whipped to the stiff peak stage

Stir the first five ingredients very well together.  Pour them over the whipped cream and lightly fold together until thoroughly combined.  Taste and add a little salt, if necessary.  Serve cold with the roast beef.

QUEEN ELIZABETH’S STRAWBERRY TRIFLE

          

Strawberries and cream always remind me of England. Trifle is the absolute British dessert made with fruit, biscuits, cake, jam, fruit macerated in rum, brandy or sherry, custard and cream. This is a version for the whole family.

Plain cake, sliced (see recipe below)

About 300g (10 oz) strawberry jam

500 g (2 cups) fresh orange juice, you might not need it all

2-3 tbsp brandy or Grand Marnier, more for adults

500 g (1 lb) strawberries

Grated rind of 1 orange

Brandy custard (see recipe below)

500 ml double cream, whipped to the soft peak stage, with

2-3 tbsp icing sugar

Plain Cake:

300 g (10 oz) butter at room temperature

300 g (10 oz) sugar

A pinch of salt

1 tsp grated orange rind

300 g (10 oz) self raising flour

4 large eggs, separated, whites whipped stiff

Brandy Custard:

500 ml (2 cups) milk

250 ml (1 cup) double cream

A twist of fresh orange peel

8 egg yolks

90 g (3 oz) sugar or more if preferred

1 pinch salt

1 liqueur glass brandy, Grand Marnier would be wonderful

10-12 or more ratafia biscuits, see recipe below.

Make the cake at least one day before you need it.   Beat the butter and sugar together with the salt and the grated orange rind, until light and fluffy.  Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the flour, and fold in the whipped egg whites until no traces are visible.  Place in a large loaf tin, lined with baking parchment and bake in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 40-45 minutes.  Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin.  Keep for 1 day before slicing.

For the custard, bring the milk, cream and orange peel to the boil and remove the saucepan from the heat.  Beat the egg yolks with the sugar and salt until pale and almost doubled in bulk.  Discard the orange peel and pour the hot milk mixture over the eggs and keep on whipping for 2 minutes at least.  Then pour the custard back into a clean saucepan and simmer gently, stirring with a wooden spoon in a figure of eight pattern and do not let it boil. Add the brandy or liqueur, and when the sauce coats the back of the spoon, remove from the fire immediately and stir for 5 minutes more, until it cools a little. Then place in a bowl, and cover both the surface of the custard and the bowl with cling film and leave to cool completely before using.

One day before you want to serve the trifle, start assembling it.   Slice the cake and make 6-8 sandwiches with strawberry jam. Place them at the bottom of a glass bowl. Combine the orange juice and the brandy and sprinkle over the cake. Reserve 10-12 of the most attractive strawberries for garnishing.  Slice the remaining strawberries and scatter them over the cake. Sprinkle with the grated orange rind.  Spoon the custard over the strawberries and even the surface.  Cover the bowl with cling film and place the trifle in the fridge. 

One hour before your guests arrive, cover the trifle with ratafia biscuits if using, top with whipped cream and garnish attractively with the reserved strawberries. Pipe a few rosettes of cream round the edges, if you wish.

RATAFIA BISCUITS

These are crisp almonds biscuits, a layer or two of which are, occasionally, used in trifles, to give the dessert an unexpected, crunchy texture.

2 egg whites, whipped stiff, with a pinch of salt

30 g (1 oz) melted butter

180 g (6 oz) caster sugar

120 g (4 oz) ground almonds

1 tbsp flour

½ tsp bitter almond liqueur (optional)

Beat butter and sugar and add the almonds and flour and mix very well together.  Add the liqueur, if using, and fold in the whipped egg whites and mix into a smooth, thick paste.

Shape cherry-sized balls with the dough.   Place on a baking tin (lined with baking parchment) 5 cm (2 inches) apart.   Bake in an oven, preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 15 minutes or until brown around the edges.  Remove from the oven and let the biscuits cool in the tin.  

Broccoli and Cauliflower

When I was a child, I used to hate broccoli and cauliflower but on no occasion was I allowed to leave the tiniest  morsel on my plate.  One day, when I was in my early teens, after tasting a cauliflower salad, drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice, I discovered the wonderful, nutty flavour of the vegetable and enjoyed two large helpings.

Ever since, cauliflower and broccoli are my favourite winter vegetables.  They can be boiled, braised, fried, roasted, steamed and pureed.   Combined with other vegetables, cheese, ham or bacon, one can produce the most delectable dishes.

BROCCOLI SOUP

            

           This is a lovely, creamy soup.  

1  kg (2 lb) broccoli, divided in florets, stalks reserved
1 ½ litre (6 cups) chicken stock
1 herb bouquet (1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs parsley)
1 medium onion, chopped, or
3 spring onions, chopped, including the green parts
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
A pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper
125 ml (½ cup) thick yoghurt or cream

           Boil the reserved broccoli stalks with the herb bouquet, in the chicken stock until soft. Remove the stalks and set aside.   Add the broccoli florets to the stock and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes.   Remove the florets and set aside, and discard the bouquet.

           Sauté the onions in butter, until soft, sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes;  then add 1-2 cups stock and simmer, stirring, until the sauce thickens.   Return all the broccoli parts to the stock (reserving 6-8 small florets).   Add the sauce, sprinkle with nutmeg and simmer 5-7 minutes more.

        Then blend and sieve the soup.   Taste and add salt if necessary, and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.  Re-heat the soup thoroughly.   Serve in bowls, with a spoonful of cream or yoghurt and a broccoli floret on top.

BROCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER SALAD

  

This is a large, colourful salad.

  

1 broccoli cut in florets

1 cauliflower cut in florets

1 green, 2 red and 2 yellow peppers, trimmed, seeded, thickly sliced and halved

2 carrots peeled and thickly sliced

1 garlic clove, sliced

Salt, pepper

2 tbsp sesame oil, (not the oriental kind)

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley, and

1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds for garnishing

Salad Dressing

2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar

5 tbsp sesame oil (not the oriental kind)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 scant tbsp honey

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Lemon juice, optional

Place the first four ingredients in a baking tin lined with baking parchment, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with sesame oil and roast in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F), until tender.   Arrange the vegetables attractively on a flat salad dish.     

For the dressing, blend the vinegar with the mustard, honey, salt and pepper and then add the remaining oil gradually, until the vinaigrette thickens.  Taste for seasoning and adjust with more salt, pepper and lemon juice, if necessary. Dredge the   vegetables with the dressing, cover and refrigerate.  One hour before serving remove the salad from the refrigerator and allow it to reach room temperature. Serve sprinkled with the sesame seeds and parsley.

BROCCOLI RISOTTO WITH MUSHROOMS AND TRUFFLE SHAVINGS

                                               

It is difficult to give the exact amount of liquid used for a perfect risotto. Some rice varieties need 1:5 (1 part rice – 5 parts liquid), others need more or less liquid.

¾ kg (1 ½ lb) broccoli florets, boiled al dente, strained and dried on kitchen paper,

                                                                                                            water reserved

500 g (1 lb) fresh white mushrooms cut into chunks

1 large onion, finely chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2-3 tbsp butter

6-7 saffron stamens infused in 250 ml (1 cup) good quality, warm white wine

450 g (2 cups) risotto rice

1 litre (4 cups) hot chicken or vegetable stock

500 ml (2 cups) hot broccoli water

½ cup parsley, chopped

1 tsp fresh marjoram leaves, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

90 g (1 cup) San Mihalis or Parmesan cheese, grated
a nob of butter

Extra grated cheese for serving

1 small white truffle scrubbed with a brush, and washed

Sauté the mushrooms in 1½ tbsp butter, for about 7 minutes, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Add the broccoli and cook 5 minutes more. Then remove the vegetables and keep hot.  

 In the same pan add the remaining butter, onion and garlic and cook gently until the onion softens.  Add the rice and cook until transparent, pour in the warm wine with the saffron and stir continuously until absorbed.  Add the chicken or vegetable stock and the broccoli water, a cup at a time, stirring the rice until the liquid is absorbed, before adding the next cup.

  

When the rice is almost done, add the vegetables and the herbs  and carefully mix together.   Finally, remove from the fire, add the cheese and let it melt, stir in the butter and shave a little white truffle over.   Serve immediately with grated cheese and a glass of the same white wine you used for the cooking, iced this time!

A SPICY CAULIFLOWER AU GRATIN                 

A very tasty vegetable dish!   It is equally good made with broccoli and a few finely chopped bacon rashers.

1 kg (2 lbs) cauliflower, cut into florets

4-6 garlic cloves

½ lemon, juice and rind

Salt and pepper

2-3 thick slices day-old bread, crusts removed

2 tbsp chopped tarragon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper

300 g (1 ½ tub) yogurt

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

4 tbsp mayonnaise

90 g (l cup) grated kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese

2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

1 tsp grated lemon rind

Salt, and freshly ground black pepper

2-3 tbsp olive oil for drizzling over..

Process the bread with half the tarragon, salt and Cayenne pepper, in a food processor.  Taste for seasoning, and adjust, if necessary, with salt and pepper and reserve.

In a small bowl, mix the yoghurt with the mustard, mayonnaise, cheese, the remaining tarragon, salt, pepper, thyme and grated lemon rind.   Taste for seasoning and adjust, with salt and pepper, if necessary

Boil the cauliflower in salted water with garlic, lemon juice and rind, until just tender. Strain well and dry on double kitchen paper. Discard the garlic and lemon rind

 

Place the cauliflower florets, in a buttered baking dish, in a single layer.  Cover with the yoghurt sauce and sprinkle evenly with the bread mixture and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake in a moderate oven preheated to 190C (375) for 20-30 minutes, until well browned.

       CAULIFLOWER WITH EGG AND LEMON SAUCE FROM THE DODECANESE

I was given this recipe by my friend June Marinos, who has written several successful cookery books

¾ kg (1.5 lbs) cauliflower cut in florets

Juice of 1 lemon

Rind of ½ lemon

4 garlic cloves

½ kg (1 lb) ripe tomatoes, halved, grated, skins discarded

3-4 tbsp butter

Salt and pepper

3-4 slices of ham, chopped (optional)

2-3 eggs

2-3 tbsp lemon juice

Boil the cauliflower in salted water, with the lemon juice and rind and the garlic cloves, until just al dente. Strain the cauliflower (keeping 250 ml (1 cup) cooking liquid) and reserve. Discard the lemon rind but not the garlic cloves.  

Place the tomatoes, the reserved boiled garlic and butter in a saucepan and season with salt, pepper and sugar and simmer until sauce thickens a little.  Add the cauliflower and simmer until nearly done, adding a little cooking liquid if necessary, and then stir in the chopped ham (if using).  

Remove the saucepan from the fire.   Beat the eggs and lemon juice together and pour slowly over the cauliflower, shaking the saucepan.   Re-heat the cauliflower to the simmering point, being careful not to let it boil.  Serve sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper.

BROCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER SLICE

This is a delicious first dish.   Just serve with a green salad, a glass of white wine and crusty brown bread.  

500 g (1 lb) broccoli and cauliflower in equal amounts

Salt

6 garlic cloves

Rind and juice of ½ a lemon

120 g (4 oz) mild feta cheese (if too salty, soak for 10 minutes)

White pepper

Nutmeg

2 heaped tbsp grated Graviera from Naxos, or  Parmesan

2 egg yolks, beaten

4 egg whites whipped to the soft peak stage with a pinch of salt

Parsley for garnish.

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F) and place a large, deep baking tin half filled with boiling water (au bain Marie)  on the bottom shelf of the oven.

In a large saucepan with salted water cook the garlic cloves and the lemon rind for 10 minutes.   Rub the cauliflower with the lemon juice and cook until tender, place it in a colander to drain.  Boil the broccoli until cooked, and drain.  Discard the lemon rind but reserve the cloves of garlic.

Pulse the vegetables with the garlic, feta cheese, white pepper, nutmeg and the grated cheese, not too much, so that it keeps some texture.  Taste and add a little salt and pepper, if necessary. Place in a bowl, stir in the beaten egg yolks and fold in the whipped egg whites.  

Spoon the mixture into a loaf tin, lined with oiled baking parchment and even the surface. Bake au bain Marie, (the water should come up two thirds of the height of the loaf tin) for 45-50 minutes until set and slightly brown.   Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Then reverse on a dish and garnish with parsley.