Dinner in Akrotiri Mess

[cargosales]

Could someone whose memory is better than mine help me out please?

Many years ago a feature of dinner in the Akrotiri OM was a starter made of hard-boiled eggs, sliced in half. It wasn't a traditional 'egg-nicoise' with all the assorted greenery and healthy stuff, just honest egg & mayo some rather nice spices sprinked on top .. But what were those spices? Paprika? Cayenne Pepper? Some other things?

Any ideas anyone?

CS

[Fareastdriver]

It must have been pretty hot because the Mess burnt down. Apparently some heroic officer rushed into the flames and rescued all the bar books.

[Barksdale Boy]

Although I do not remember having this dish in the mess at Akrotiri, I believe it is called oeufs a la russe. I last had it on a cross-channel ferry in 1964.

[Dan Winterland]

My mum used to make it and she used paprika. Dad had a 4 year tour at Akro, so perhaps that's where she got the recipe from.

[BEagle]

Was it any good?

In the words of old George: "All food in Mess for Officers very good sir, please. Yes. Please!"

Not however, the bacon. Cheap cuts from pigs fed with a large amount of fishmeal in their diet, it often tasted rather fishy...

[sangiovese.]

Ahhh George

Made me remember the luffenham bar man too...Les iirc...any characters left these days?

[Buster11]

Not having eaten there I can't speak with any authority, but, given the location, might one of the spices have been sumac? While it's mainly used in Turkish food, there might have been some cross-pollination. It's a maroon colour and has a slightly sour, lemony taste.

[Shackman]

RAF Chefs' School:

Lesson 1

1. Boil Water in large saucepan.
2. Once boiling put egg(s) in to water - leave to boil for about two hours
3. Remove eggs, put in cold water
4. Get some small plates, sprinkle with bits of lettuce leaf (NOT cabbage)
5. Remove shell(s) from eggs
6. Slice egg in half (mind the fingers) and place on top of lettuce
7. Smother with mayonnaise (salad cream if no mayonnaise)
8. Sprinkle with Paprika and serve

Voila - egg mayonnaise!!

Mainstay of OM's worldwide for many years

PS What happened to Sambals with curry?

[fantom]

Never mind the eggs; who remembers the fabulous cheese savories at SHJ?

[teeteringhead]

who remembers the fabulous cheese savories at SHJ? Oh yes indeed fantom, me for one. Thanks for a truly "madeleine moment".

Not only as an alternative (or let's be honest, an addition) to dessert, but also the seemingly endless trays of them which appeared at Happy Hour.

Yum!

[Jabba_TG12]

Was it any good?

In the words of old George: "All food in Mess for Officers very good sir, please. Yes. Please!"

Not however, the bacon. Cheap cuts from pigs fed with a large amount of fishmeal in their diet, it often tasted rather fishy...

Jeez, I remember that stuff from 280SU Troodos on 43's last Phantom APC in the late 80s. Almost put me off bacon for life, it was un-natural, to put it mildly...

[BEagle]

I'm sure that 'bacon' was 'butchered' by the simple expedient of Chris-the-pig-slaughterer shoving a stick of dynamite up the pig's bottom, retiring to a safe distance and retrieving the smouldering off-cut remains of ex-piggy once the smoke had cleared...

I've never seen bacon cut in such a weird way other than in the Akrotiri OM.

[Alison Conway]

Beagle, stop that I almost spilt my brandy sour.

[Fareastdriver]

At Honington in the early sixties the ration truck first went to the Sargent's Mess. It then proceeded to the Airmen's Mess followed by the Operations Wing canteen.

What was left over was thrown to the officers.

[Fortissimo]

And Akrotiri Racing Chicken? Even after its pre-kitchen Olympic marathon (OK, Olympus Radar and back) it seemed to have been subjected to heat that would have made Hiroshima feel like gentle poaching liquor. Top cooking tip, leave in a fridge for 3 days to remove any trace of moisture. Before my first APC I had no idea the Cypriots had invented their own chicken-based version of Biltong.

[Top West 50]

Ah George - "of course Seer, THIS, is officer's mess!"

[cavuman1]

First, find a beautiful bilingual lady. Next, prepare a shaker of chilled martinis. Bombay Sapphire works wonders. Now, watch the lovely bilingualist prepare the enclosed recipe as you sip your juniper-infused nectar. Finally, hope with your heart that she's tri-lingual, if you know what I mean...

- Ed ;)Oeufs à la RusseM (http://www.marmiton.org/forum/profil-Mathilde_232-246909.aspx)Mathilde_232 (http://www.marmiton.org/forum/profil-Mathilde_232-246909.aspx)plus de recettes (http://www.marmiton.org/recettes/recette-meme-auteur.aspx?pseudo=Mathilde_232)

Entrée
Végétarien (http://www.marmiton.org/recettes/selection_vegetarien.aspx)
Sans gluten (http://www.marmiton.org/recettes/selection_sans_gluten.aspx)
Cuisine russe (http://www.marmiton.org/recettes/selection_cuisine_russe.aspx)

2 commentaires (http://www.marmiton.org/recettes/recette_oeufs-a-la-russe_40738.aspx#post-review-container)470 ajouts au carnet7 partageshttps://image.afcdn.com/recipe/20140513/14684_w420h344c1cx175cy146.jpg
Ajouter ma phototemps 20 minpersonnes 2très facilebon marchéJe sauvegarde Je partage avec mes amis IngrédientsNombre de personnes-+

https://image.afcdn.com/recipe/20170607/67505_w100h100c1cx350cy350.jpg4 oeufs
https://image.afcdn.com/recipe/20170621/69067_w100h100c1cxt0cyt0cxb700cyb700.jpgHuile de tournesol
https://image.afcdn.com/recipe/20170607/67452_w100h100c1cx350cy350.jpg1 cuillère à soupe de vinaigre
https://image.afcdn.com/recipe/20170607/67340_w100h100c1cx350cy350.jpgCornichon
https://image.afcdn.com/recipe/20170607/67343_w100h100c1cx350cy350.jpg1 tranche de jambon de dinde
https://image.afcdn.com/recipe/20170607/67759_w100h100c1cx350cy350.jpgMayonnaise

J'ajoute à ma liste de courses ustensiles

https://image.afcdn.com/recipe/20170613/68812_w120h120c1cx350cy350.jpg 1 couteau
https://image.afcdn.com/recipe/20170613/68819_w120h120c1cx350cy350.jpg 1 fouet

Préparation Imprimer (javascript:window.print())temps total : 20 minPréparation : 10 min Cuisson : 10 min

Etape 1Mettre les oeufs (http://www.marmiton.org/magazine/tendances-gourmandes_oeufs_1.aspx) à cuire 10 min pour qu'ils soit durs.
Etape 2Pendant ce temps, couper le jambon en "grillage", de sorte qu'il forme des carrés d'environ 1 cm carré.
Etape 3Couper également les cornichons.
Etape 4Après 10 min, sortir les oeufs de l'eau bouillante, et ôter la coquille (attention c'est toujours chaud!!).
Etape 5Couper les oeufs durs en 2 (dans le sens de la longueur).
Etape 6Avec un couteau, enlever DOUCEMENT le jaune, et le mettre dans une jatte (conserver les blancs au frigidaire).
Etape 7Battre ensemble : jaunes d'oeufs, mayonnaise (http://www.marmiton.org/magazine/tendances-gourmandes_mayonnaise_1.aspx), huile, vinaigre, jambon et cornichons, puis déposer la mixture dans les blancs d'oeufs.
Etape 8Servir froid.

[BEagle]

Fortissimo, I always wondered what manner of beast the Akrotiri racing chicken really was. More like a flying centipede, with dozens of legs, the odd wing but no breast.

Even '****fer', our tame tortoiseshell bondhu cat, wasn't that keen on bits of racing chicken left over from APC lunch boxes.

[Tankertrashnav]

I don't have any memories of the food in the mess at Akrotiri but I do remember sitting there having lunch with our crew one day. Our captain was the squadron boss, a rather stiffish character, who later made 4*. All of a sudden his cold eye fell upon a group of three sitting at a nearby table in flying suits, with long hair curling over their collars. Hair length was one of his things, and he was rising from his seat to go and administer a bollocking on the subject of hair length and flying suits in the mess, when one of our number quietly pointed out that they were the civilian crew of one of the target towing Canberras from FRADU at Yeovilton. I wished that he had gone across and administered his bollocking - it would have been a great scene to observe.

[Jumping_Jack]

Lady L's was always the place for awesome hot sandwiches at Aki. Their Sausages, Fried onions and fried tomato long roll (locally known as 'Dead babies arm') was the highlight!

[Avtur]

Ah yes, a Lady L's bacon and halumi sandwich the morning after the night before.

[retreating blade]

If I might take you all back to the very late 60s when Akrotiri was the center of the RAF universe; there were so many visitor crews on occasions that we had to open No 2 mess. I seem to remember this emporium was for drinking, not dining. One regular activity amongst the visitors was to stop the ceiling fan in the bar with one’s head. As a local, I was unsure why this was important but, after a few Keos who cared!
pedro

[Akrotiri bad boy]

Akrotiri means hard tack and gruel for me:yuk:. That was after an ocean of St Panteleimon:yuk: an inland sea of Kokkinelli:yuk: and an enforced rest which left me with a stripey sun tan courtesy of the bars on the window.

[Onceapilot]

Hmmmm, LHR on the flightdeck before start-up.:) BTW, Where did they get the Bronto-porkchops from in the Akrotiri kebab houses???? :eek:
Thanks Akrotiri!

OAP

[MrBernoulli]

I often enjoyed the meals in the OM at Akrotiri, or Akronelli as it was affectionately known. During the summer I particularly enjoyed the salad and cold cut lunches, if only to balance the kebab, brandy sours, Keo beer, Mount Olympus red wine and kokinelli wine dinners off base!

Kokinelli - what an experience, until joining the RAF I had no idea that Cyprus imported Welsh wines! Faaboolous, isn't it? :E


PS: Have a look at this website here (http://www.rafakrotiri.co.uk/) for some memories of Akrotiri. Includes (small) pics of the Akrotiri Arms (http://www.rafakrotiri.co.uk/strippics/st8.jpg) and Kris Kebab. (http://www.rafakrotiri.co.uk/strippics/st7.jpg)

[wub]

Out in Cyprus just now. Pork chops still giant, bacon still dodgy and kokkinelli unobtainable

[Onceapilot]

Out in Cyprus just now. Pork chops still giant, bacon still dodgy and kokkinelli unobtainable



Try the Polis (behind the Akrotiri village main drag)for great meze and, Kokkinelli.

OAP

[Tankertrashnav]

Re kokinelli - the Limassol wine festival in one of the town parks was worth a visit. Your 5p (equivalent) entry fee got you a wine glass which you could have refilled at no extra charge as often as you wanted. The ornamental fish pond was drained for the occasion, and refilled with kokinelli. Naturally later in the evening there would be drunken squaddies splashing around in it trying to drink it dry!

[goudie]

I witnessed several paras falling over, as if pole-axed, after a session on Kokinelli at the Wine festival. They were drinking it straight from the carafe!

[wub]

Try the Polis (behind the Akrotiri village main drag)for great meze and, Kokkinelli.

OAP

Thanks, might do that.

[Barksdale Boy]

Don't knock the Kok!

[BEagle]

Kokkinelli unobtainable?

Wonderful stuff - and which raised a question first PPRuNed some 15 years ago: https://www.pprune.org/military-aviation/77559-kokkinelli-kebab-darkens-stool.html ?

[wub]

Kokkinelli unobtainable?

Wonderful stuff - and which raised a question first PPRuNed some 15 years ago: https://www.pprune.org/military-aviation/77559-kokkinelli-kebab-darkens-stool.html ?

Well Beagle, according to OAP it can still be found in Akrotiri Village but as a rule you can’t find it. Everything is ‘village wine’ now, most of which is foul. I was told that Kokkinelli was outlawed when Cyprus joined the EU as it didn’t meet EU standards. However since it was usually free, I don’t see how the EU could stop it being given away.

[Barksdale Boy]

If there was ever a reason for leaving the EU, that's it.

[JW411]

Is it the kokkinelli that darkens the stool: I remember doing a trip to Djibouti from Khormaksar and coming back with several demi johns of Djibouti plonk. The next morning, Russ Martin (the squadron doc) was inundated with phone calls from the party goers who were convinced that they were bleeding to death.

[Surplus]

That was after an ocean of St Panteleimon

I have often been drunk, I have often had hangovers, but I have never, ever had a hangover like those after a night on this 'wine' (and I use that word loosely).

[57mm]

Well, it wasn't also known as Pandemonium for nothing......

[Jumping_Jack]

Kokinelli & 7Up, refreshing long drink.....:yuk:

[Herod]

Weren't Kokinelli and Pandemonium two different "evening wines"?

Back in the mid-seventies, the detachment boss decided on a mini dining-in night. There was a case of 12 bottles of Keo port in the cellar, with 11 still left. I would not be surprised if there are still 10 to this day! Not a great vintage.

[wub]

Pandemonium was St. Pantelemon as I recall. another non-vintage Cypriot wine.

[The Oberon]

Try as I might, I can't reproduce an authentic kebab sandwich, pitta bread, lamb etc. Can any ex AKI gourmet help ??

[Jumping_Jack]

Of course there was also 'Domestos' (Domestica) and the high brow 'Claret 69'. For those with a sweeter tooth the Kamandaria made an appearance followed by some Filfar.

[Onceapilot]

Try as I might, I can't reproduce an authentic kebab sandwich, pitta bread, lamb etc. Can any ex AKI gourmet help ??

Yes, very difficult. Best I can offer is, try to find good pitta (I often use tortilla wraps now because authentic pitta is rare) and chose some good quality(!) fatty lamb steaks. Cook the cut up lamb as as kebab on skewers really hard under grill as fast as possible (So it burns on edges but, is pink in middle on skewer). I often use crushed garlic in olive oil brushed on first. Serve instantly with salad, garlic dip, pink stuff etc. Don't forget the fried haloumi or the vino! :ok:

OAP

[ValMORNA]

While route-flying south from the Canal Zone in the 1950s we always did a quick stop-over at Port Sudan. It was normal for crews to bring a stock of Commandaria (as I remember the spelling), brought in from Nicosia, for the ATC staff at that desolate spot. We had an old wartime nav on the squadron who wore his Observer brevet with pride. It was his idea of navigation to look out of the window over the desert or other featureless terrain, nod and mark our position on his chart. About 4 hours flying time to P.S and a little less than that on to Khormaksar. Never missed either place on a trip - they don't make navs like that any more,I think.

[MPN11]

I read with interest, as a FEAF survivor. But tales of Mess food and downtown Singapore would be a shocking Thread deviation for those who loitered at AKR. ;).

[cavuman1]

The Oberon, obviously a refined gentleman of excellent taste, is not the only one longing for the above-mentioned flavorsome treat! I am from Atlanta, Georgia, and well remember a landmark event in 1967 when an enterprising young Greek opened a restaurant on Peachtree Street called the Gyro Wrap. Greek being greek to most Atlantans, the populace, who loved the menu and food quality, instead of properly pronouncing YEE-RO, called the place the GY-RO WARP. As in "Let's go on over to the Gyro Warp an' get us some of that lamb with Kon-Tiki sauce!" That place is still in business more than fifty years later. :ok:

One of my finest high school friends was Greek; his father, originally from Tripolis, owned a thriving chain of "greasy spoons" in and around Atlanta. His delightful mother, also a native of the Cradle of Democracy, cooked wonderful delicacies including dolmades and spanakopita. She had a massive kitchen at home which included a ten-burner gas stove, four ovens, and a walk-in 'fridge/freezer. No one ever left that house hungry! :E

Keep those recipe ideas coming, ladies and gentlemen. I think the secret to a great gyro is that compressed (?) lamb that one carves off in thin sheets, but I don't know what it's called or where in Cincinnati to procure it.

- Ed ;)

[cargosales]

Try as I might, I can't reproduce an authentic kebab sandwich, pitta bread, lamb etc. Can any ex AKI gourmet help ??

As it happens, I can help.. having sampled an authentic local kebab at the Limassol Wine festival. Where you are going wrong is in your choice of meat.

Bunch of four of us, having consumed much refreshment there, sat down for something to eat.

Lead bloke: " What do you reckon to these kebabs then guys?"

Three slightly inebriated chaps " Yum yum, delicious etc etc" And it was..

Lead bloke in a loud voice to us lot "So what if I told you it's DONKEY!"

Cafe owner is over in a flash ..

"Hey, what are you accusing me of? You impugn my reputation and accuse me of selling donkey?"

Lead bloke "yeah yeah, Look mate, I grew up in India and I've eaten donkey loads of times. This is donkey meat. But it's very tasty and very well cooked by the way!! "

Wasn't much the guy could say really .....

[Ogre]

Ah Kokkinelli.... I bought two demijohns back from one trip, 1.40 local currency each and .30 back for the empty...

I was promised some very interesting delights in return for the contents of those demijohns, although for first timers you had to warn them not to spill it on any polished or varnished surface....

[Rossian]

I read the earlier reports that Kokinelli was not available with some scepticism. During our enforced stay at AKR during GW1 they were very proud of the new Tetrapaks, fondly remembered as "Kok in a box". I always thought that the meaning of the word "Kokinelli" was "village wine" anyway?
Wotevah, five jugs of Chris's brandy sours before going out usually anaesthetisd the taste buds to the awfulness of the wine with the mezze.

The Ancient Mariner

[Tankertrashnav]

Our AEO always blamed the local water for the fact that he always had the squits the next morning after arriving at Akrotiri. I pointed out that since landing the day before he had consumed several cans of Keo (the first was always handed to you as you climbed down the steps from the aircraft}, switching to brandy sours in the mess, then prodigious amounts of kokkinelli in downtown Limassol in the evening, and that as far as I could see he hadn't touched a drop of water on the island.

He still blamed the water!

[Dougie M]

As usual after landing at Aki at "oh Christ" hundred hours to fit in with the "one shift" system run by the main R.A.F. staging post eastbound, we consumed the de rigueur case of beer Keo/Carlsberg (it all came out of the same tap) followed by the combat kip. Lunch was in the Lady Armpit Club mid afternoon because the OM only opened at permanent staff hours. On entering the Mess at 1800 for the pre dinner pitchers of brandy sours, this day the barman Chris (of kebab fame) was alone. "Where is George?" we asked. "George is dead" said Chris. "Bad accident six weeks ago. Very sad. Never see again" Actually dining in the mess this day we were greeted at the door by George. "Hello George" we said. "Chis said you had died" "Is lie" he responded "you have very fine dinner then I make you one good pair of shoes, then I kill myself". It was never the same after they left.

[Onceapilot]

As usual after landing at Aki at "oh Christ" hundred hours to fit in with the "one shift" system run by the main R.A.F. staging post eastbound, we consumed the de rigueur case of beer Keo/Carlsberg (it all came out of the same tap) followed by the combat kip. Lunch was in the Lady Armpit Club mid afternoon because the OM only opened at permanent staff hours. On entering the Mess at 1800 for the pre dinner pitchers of brandy sours, this day the barman Chris (of kebab fame) was alone. "Where is George?" we asked. "George is dead" said Chris. "Bad accident six weeks ago. Very sad. Never see again" Actually dining in the mess this day we were greeted at the door by George. "Hello George" we said. "Chis said you had died" "Is lie" he responded "you have very fine dinner then I make you one good pair of shoes, then I kill myself". It was never the same after they left.

Very good Dougie! :D

OAP

[Pontius Navigator]

At Honington in the early sixties the ration truck first went to the Sargent's Mess. It then proceeded to the Airmen's Mess followed by the Operations Wing canteen.

What was left over was thrown to the officers.
Not so. It went to the section that had its main meal at dawn - the dog section