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Dinner in Akrotiri Mess

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Dinner in Akrotiri Mess

Old 14th May 2018, 19:56
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Dinner in Akrotiri Mess

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
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Old 14th May 2018, 20:04
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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.
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Old 15th May 2018, 00:41
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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.
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Old 15th May 2018, 03:50
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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.
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Old 15th May 2018, 06:18
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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...
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Old 15th May 2018, 09:09
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Ahhh George

Made me remember the luffenham bar man too...Les iirc...any characters left these days?
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Old 15th May 2018, 09:36
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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.
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Old 15th May 2018, 10:19
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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?

Last edited by Shackman; 15th May 2018 at 10:35. Reason: Lazy fingers
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Old 15th May 2018, 11:09
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Never mind the eggs; who remembers the fabulous cheese savories at SHJ?
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Old 15th May 2018, 11:40
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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!
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Old 15th May 2018, 13:05
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Originally Posted by 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...
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...
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Old 15th May 2018, 13:18
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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.
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Old 15th May 2018, 19:29
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Beagle, stop that I almost spilt my brandy sour.
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Old 15th May 2018, 20:03
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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.
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Old 15th May 2018, 20:40
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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.
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Old 15th May 2018, 21:03
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Ah George - "of course Seer, THIS, is officer's mess!"
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Old 15th May 2018, 21:44
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Pour Tu, Monsieur Cargosales!

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 Russe

2 commentaires
470 ajouts au carnet7 partages
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temps 20 minpersonnes 2très facilebon marché
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Ingrédients

Nombre de personnes

-+
  • 4 oeufs
  • Huile de tournesol
  • 1 cuillère à soupe de vinaigre
  • Cornichon
  • 1 tranche de jambon de dinde
  • Mayonnaise
J'ajoute à ma liste de courses

ustensiles

  • 1 couteau
  • 1 fouet

Préparation Imprimer

temps total : 20 min
Préparation : 10 min Cuisson : 10 min
  1. Etape 1

    Mettre les oeufs à cuire 10 min pour qu'ils soit durs.
  2. Etape 2

    Pendant ce temps, couper le jambon en "grillage", de sorte qu'il forme des carrés d'environ 1 cm carré.
  3. Etape 3

    Couper également les cornichons.
  4. Etape 4

    Après 10 min, sortir les oeufs de l'eau bouillante, et ôter la coquille (attention c'est toujours chaud!!).
  5. Etape 5

    Couper les oeufs durs en 2 (dans le sens de la longueur).
  6. Etape 6

    Avec un couteau, enlever DOUCEMENT le jaune, et le mettre dans une jatte (conserver les blancs au frigidaire).
  7. Etape 7

    Battre ensemble : jaunes d'oeufs, mayonnaise, huile, vinaigre, jambon et cornichons, puis déposer la mixture dans les blancs d'oeufs.
  8. Etape 8

    Servir froid.
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Old 15th May 2018, 21:50
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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.
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Old 15th May 2018, 23:49
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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.
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Old 16th May 2018, 10:46
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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!
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