There’s a lot British people have given us, including the monarchy (I’m not sure whose faces cakers would put on their tea towels otherwise), Marks and Spencer shrimp chips and the sophisticated comedy of Benny Hill.
Speaking of sophisticated, here’s a recipe from UK reader, Jenny, the creator of Silver Screen Suppers, a blog devoted to recipes of the stars, including Vincent Price, Zsa Zsa Gabour, Joan Crawford and many others. When Jenny sent me this recipe for Richard O’Sullivan’s Horse Noodles, I was a little alarmed. I mean, horse meat is expensive. But it turns out there’s no horse. Only horseradish.
Of all the recipes at his disposal, I’m not sure why Richard chose this one. The dish was okay, but it didn’t put the chime in my Big Ben, if you catch my drift. And the melted cheese left a crust in my saucepan – on top of the crust that was already there.
But I’m not getting my knickers in a twist. It’s only a laugh, init? The British are the dog’s bollocks in my books.
Thanks, Jenny!
Boil up a saucepan of water, add a ½ teaspoon of salt. Gradually stir in 3 oz (75g) of noodles. Bring it back to the boil and cook for about 10 minutes. Drain off the water, and stir in any scraps of cooked meat you have (or fried-up bits of bacon). Add half a tin of condensed soup… celery, tomato, whatever you fancy, and 2 oz (50g) grated cheese. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in a ½ tablespoonful of horseradish sauce. Reheat the lot in the saucepan for about 10 minutes and serve. Sensational!
About Richard (in Jenny's words):
Richard was a star of 1970s TV in the UK and is probably best known for Man About the House where he starred as a chef who lived with two dolly birds. (Editor's note: What the heck is a "dolly bird?")
Here's a snippet of show.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
ReplyDeleteI remember that apron well.
How like the English (and Cakers)to boil and boil their noodles to death.
I know, in theory, I should've boiled the noodles for the full 10 minutes, but I just couldn't. I was afraid if I did, I'd be eating something that looked like wallpaper paste.
DeleteThrilled to be reading this in London on my lunchour over a cup-o-soup.
ReplyDeleteAre they WEINERS I spy as your "scraps of cooked meat"? Genius. As we are currently embroiled in a horsemeat scandal here in the UK this is very timely. First they were telling us that some processed food products had traces of horsemeat and now it's escalated. It was revealed recently that the meat content of that good old-fashioned freezer staple "Findus Beef Lasagna" is in fact 100% horsemeat. Neigh!
At least at Caker Cooking you know what's in it right? Well I guess you do if you can trust the lengthy ingredients lists on all the packets and jars...
Dolly birds are the 1970s equivalent of what in the 1950s was known as "whistle bait" - knowarrimean?!
Keep on truckin' Brian - you cook it so that we don't have to!
Jenny from Silver Screen Suppers - MWOAH X
Thanks, Jenny! And those are indeed weiners, leftover from last week's delicacy, Baked Frankfurters. Oh, I do live the life of a bon vivant, don't I?
DeleteThanks for clarifying what a "dolly bird" is. I kept imagine a lady with a beak.
PS - Marks and Spencers shrimp crisps? Do you mean prawn coctail?! Jx
ReplyDeleteYes, I meant those. But I was afraid if I put prawn cocktail, the cakers would think it was a shrimp martini.
DeleteI like how the recipe isn't picky about which soup you add - or which meat to use - even though the choices would completely change the flavor completely. To me, this looks like a "something smells weird in the fridge...let's see what's still good" recipe. That there is a bachelor's meal, Richard!
ReplyDeleteIt was the "any scraps of cooked meat" that disturbed me a little bit. Richard seems to have some pretty low standards. Of course, I shouldn't talk.
DeleteIf anyone wants to know more about what Richard liked to eat I made a rash decision to follow his Seven Day Survival course in November. A lot of SMASH was involved - which is powdered mashed potato in case you don't get that in your part of the world. My favourite dish was the gammon topped with a pineapple ring with a cherry in the middle.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.silverscreensuppers.com/richard-osullivan/richard-osullivans-seven-day-survival-course
Jx
Thanks for the link, Jenny. Cakers, proceed with caution.
DeleteI thought Caker tea towels all had pictures of Robert Goulet and jars of Cheez Whiz on them? Am I wrong?
ReplyDeleteYes, but Bobby (as we refer to him) is usually wearing a crown. So it's one of those three-birds, two stones type of things.
DeleteMan About the House was reincarnated in the US as "Three's Company." Just as in Britain, each had two sequels. Robin's Nest - Robin opened a restaurant - and the same for Jack Tripper except I can't remember the title....and both had The Ropers (landlords) in their own spin offs. Robin's Nest featured the David Kelly "Waking Ned Devine" as a one-armed dishwasher....first time I ever heard the words 'courgettes" and "aubergines" and I wondered what wonderful exotic foods were those...such a let down when I found out they were zucchini and eggplant.
ReplyDeleteThanks for those facts! I believe the Three's Company spin-off was called "Jack's Place." I can't remember if I turned off the iron five minutes after leaving the house, but I can remember the name of an obscure TV sitcom. Says a lot about me.
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