Some of these I have posted before. It just seems easier than reposting.
One of the smells veterans could remember from the trenches was the smell of cooked bacon. This had nothing to do with bacon being cooked.
Many of the recipes are the same as recipes in use today. “Rock Cakes” for example, were very popular, so not included. Many are not for the modern tastes, also not included are “Sheep’s Head Pie” or “Baked Stuffed Ox Heart”.
A lot of cooking was about using substitutes. Such as;
Use, Honey, or Golden Syrup instead of Sugar in puddings.
Instead of an egg use, half an once margarine, two tablespoons flour, two tablespoons water, milk, or stock, and half a teaspoon of baking powder.
Potatoes used to bulk out flour.
Some of the recipes are simple, some not really practical today. I have tried none of them. They were all in use circa 1914-1918.
Bread from Flour and Potatoes
7lb flour Three and a half pounds of water
1 and a half oz salt half a pound mashed potatoes
2 oz yeast.
Mix the flour salt and potatoes, heat to 82 degrees Fahrenheit
Dissolve yeast in the water at 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Add to the flour mixture.
Mix and kneed for ten minutes cover leave for an hour and a half. kneed again.
Divide into equal sized parts. Place into greased baking tins. Allow to rise for 30 minutes
bake at 420 degrees Fahrenheit. 1lb loaves take 30 minutes, 2lb loaves take 50.
From 1917
Trench Meat Pudding
Half pound Steak 2 Cups Oatmeal
2oz shredded suet 2 small peeled onions
Salt and Pepper Cold Water as required
Chop steak and onions finely. Mix in the suet and oatmeal season to taste mix with water to make a thick dough. Steam in a greased paper covered greased pudding basin for around three and a half hours.
From 1918
You will need
3oz crusts of bread 1 dried egg
Quarter teaspoon vanilla essence 1 oz margarine or nut butter
Three quarters of a pint of milk 1 heaped table spoon sultana raisins
Skim milk as required Sugar to taste
Soak the grated crusts in skim milk to moisten, then crumble. Add the raisins. essence and soaked egg. Heat the milk and fat until fat is melted then stir into other mixture. Sweeten to taste. Steam for half an hour. serve with sweet white sauce.
The following are from previous blogs,
Trench Pudding.
Smash up some old Army biscuits with a bayonet. Place them in a canteen. Half-fill with water, and add some orange peel. Boil to a delicious orange paste. Serve with condensed milk.
Trench Mortar.
Batter some old Army biscuits with an entrenching tool. Mix it with some plum jam to taste. Heat and serve.
Trench Savoury.
Bath old Army biscuits in sizzling ham fat. Spread over them toasted cheese. Best eaten in a funk hole.
1916 Trench Cake.
½lb. flour. 3oz. Cleaned currants.
1 teaspoon vinegar. 3oz. Light brown sugar.
¼ pint milk. 4oz. Margarine.
2 teaspoons cocoa. ½ teaspoon baking soda.
Grated rind ½ lemon ¼teaspoon grated nutmeg.
½ teaspoon ground ginger.
Grease a cake tin. Rub the margarine into the flour. Add the cocoa, currents, sugar then the soda, dissolved in the vinegar and milk. Beat well. Turn into prepared tin. Bake in a moderate oven for about 2 hours.
Recipes from 1917.
Mock Kidney Pudding.
For 5 people.
Pastry
½lb. Flour 6oz. Shredded suet.
1 teaspoon baking powder. 1 pinch salt.
Water as required.
Filling.
1½ lb. Lamp’s liver. 2oz. bacon.
Seasoned flour. 1 tablespoon minced onion.
1 cup stock or water. 1oz. Dripping.
From 1918
Fig Pudding.
For 5 people.
2 tablespoons chopped figs. 2 tablespoons sugar
1lb. Mashed potatoes. ¼ pint skim milk.
1oz margarine. 1 tablespoon flour.
½ teaspoon baking powder. ½ teaspoon mixed spice.
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon.
Place potatoes in a basin. Heat margarine and milk together. Stir into the potatoes. Beat well and add the remaining ingredients, the flour sifted with spices and baking powder. Bake in a greased pie dish in a moderate oven until brown.
Ginger Pudding.
For 3 people.
2ox ground rice. ½lb sieved boiled potatoes.
1 dried egg. ½ a teaspoon of baking soda.
½ teaspoons mixed spice. ½ teaspoon of ground ginger.
2 table spoons golden syrup. 1½ oz. Cocoa butter.
½ tablespoon milk. ½ tablespoon water.
Mix the potatoes with the ground rice and spices. Make a well in the centre. Add the grated cocoa-butter, egg and golden syrup. Beat Well for 5 minutes. Dissolve the soda in a little skim milk. Add the milk and water. Beat Well. Bake in a greased tin in a moderate oven for ¾ hour.
Semolina Pudding.
For 6 persons.
4oz. Semolina 1 Quart milk.
1 tablespoon custard powder. 1 heaped tablespoon sugar.
½ tablespoon vanilla essence.
Mix powder to a smooth paste with a little of the milk. Stir in the rest of the milk and heat. Sprinkle in semolina, stirring constantly. Boil for 10 minutes till clear and thick. Remove from the stove. Stir in the sugar. Pour into a greased pie-dish. Bake until Brown.
Taken from Peter Andersons blog https://ppaanderson.wordpress.com/2018/09/08/recipes-from-the-first-world-war/