A meal fit for a king- brown sauce to the rescue !

[Roger Dyer]

Hi Jim.......You obviously remember the label which, as you rightly recall, did waffle on about it's somewhat precious manufacture, but did you have to remind us about the wicked humour of our bygone shipmates What irreverence, bordering on heresy, - it was bloody good stuff (at least I thought so). You could pour it onto a plate of something of doubtful origin and turn it into something edible just like that. Jokes aside, I wouldn't mind knowing what did actually go into it, although it might be just as well if I remain ignorant, do you think?.........If you read this Pete, thanks for the additional input re Mason's O.K. (another fine British Sauce gone forever), hells bells, we Brits used to be so proud of our heritage, decisions made by foreign interests no doubt, can't they do something to stop this. I think I'll bypass Brussels and write direct to the U.N. You may be pleased to know that H.P. sauce is still readily available in Oz Supermarkets and I think sells reasonably well, even if it's just us old ex-pats that are buying it. My bottle (plastic of course) bears the legend that it was manufactured in the Netherlands for HP Foods Ltd., Hayes, Middlesex. so at least Mother England gets a mention............cheers to all, Roger.

[robpage]

Never ate the dinner though , we once had Turkey Broth for six continuous days

[Roger Dyer]

Hi Rob..... Enjoyed your yarn about your experiences with Gulf Oil. What wonderful ingenuity! As mentioned in earlier 'posts', I never really went hungry when I was at sea although did sail with the occasional cook who was a bit ordinary ( at the time I never thought of going down the engine-room for a decent feed - I don't suppose you took reservations for dinner tho', or did you?). I did know, of course, that many seaman like you and Brian (Capt.Kong) endured considerable privation and often went hungry whilst at sea. I feel as if I'm a bit of a 'sham', because, apart from one or two exceptions, I never really felt malnourished . In fact, when I joined my first ship, the Port Hobart, I couldn't believe the amount of food (including tab-nabs) that we received each day. As 'Peggy' it seemed as if my day was spent carting food from the galley to the mess-room aft. I certainly ate more than I was used to at home (that was in 1957). As for the B.O.T. Salad that I mentioned earlier, apart from a coaster I was on ( which part of the time didn't even have a cook) I never sailed on a ship where we didn't get a tray left out every night. Surely, I'm not the only one to have had that experience, am I? Some ships I was on, the sailors would have been very upset if the Cook forgot the salad. I'm starting to think that I had it very easy in my time, guess I was lucky! Must thank you shipmates for responding to this thread. Thanks to you it's had everything, drama, suspense, a dash of humour, and all the while informative., what more could I have asked for?.....Roger.

[Jim Brady]

Roger,you must've been on some good feeders.The only time I recall the crowd getting salad was Sunday night tea.Cold meat and salad,that was'nt for their supper but for their evening meal!!! I remember one time when I was on a Tanker after Christmas Dinner the galley was closed down so cold meat and salad was put in the messroom,so it was a rarity for cold meat and salad tobe put in the messroom for supper.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[happy daze john in oz]

Good old H P sauce is available here in Oz, but what I do miss is Branstonl pickle, thick and brown with so much spice in it. Must admit I have developed a great liking to Vegemite as to Marmite. But think on Roger it could have been worse, like some of the UCL Brown Windsor soup! Funny thing is I have never seen that on a shoreside menu.

[Roger Dyer]

Hi John.......To be quite honest, I learnt to avoid the Brown Windsor soup. I did try it on a Port boat a couple of times, but I always found that it was lacking in flavour. It may have been the way it was prepared, but to my taste it just seemed like thickish, brown, water. What actually went into it's making I wonder? I thought it may have been a ready-made powder to which water was added. Perhaps one of our Cooks 'on board' can provide the answer? (This makes for 'gripping' reading doesn't it ? ).........Re the Branston Pickle (another gem of British cuisine) of which I too am a 'fan'. My dear lady tells me that here in N.S.W. she buys our's in Woolworth's or Coles supermarkets, so I'm assuming it will be available in Victoria, good hunting, anyway. It's 'fair dinkum' stuff too, comes in the traditional glass jar and is prepared in Spalding, Lincolnshire, England. At least, there is one of Britain's national treasures still in existence...... (now, to the accompanying, emotive strains of 'Land of Hope and Glory' I shall now go and make myself a cheese and pickle sandwich - Branston, of course)............cheers, Roger

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi shipmates,I dont recall any type of sauce on the table but Brown winsor soup was served allmost every day or was it gravy? in the tropics !!!! so an old seaman told me. I was on the very best of ships the cooks were all doing they very best with the supplys they had, I still have great memories of my first trip deep-sea on the British commerce 14 course Christmas dinner with all you could drink served by the officers' a great bunch of gentlmen!!! After beening on the paddle steamers this was pure luxury{ deepsea}, so I will never say a bad thing about the great cooks' of our Merchant navy.

[John Callon]

Nothing wrong with Potage Windsor if it is made properly with lamb, beef steak, leeks or onions, carrot and parsnips together with a splash of Maderia wine and garnished with rice. Also Jamie Oliver does a good recipe for this soup.
Regards,
John C.

[robpage]

Every time I had it on cargo boats it was Maggi powder and water

[John Callon]

Like I said Rob, nothing wrong with Windsor Soup if made properly. Maggi Soup powder and water is most definitely not the correct method. John.