Cara, this is one to tang the jaded palate. It is also
quick, and according to your Great Uncle Tom, used to be served regularly on an
ad hoc basis at the Wiggins Teape paper mill in Dartford. As Tom put it,
"Aye, it would depend on the catch. We had a standing order with a fishing
boat the Horizontal Lil which docked at Tilbury, and when Lil was flush we'd eat,
and eat well. So Horace Baimbridge, the chef at WT, and a renowned epicurean in
Dartford, would get the nod over the phone at 8 o'clock in the morning, jump on
his mo-ped, and pedal off down the hill. About halfway down the motor would kick in
and a huge cloud of smoke would blast Horrie off toward the Thames docks. A
couple of hours later and Horrie would round the corner - we'd see him every
time because it was smoke break - up the hill like a chimney on wheels with a
sack on his back, fag in his mouth and grinning like a Cheshire cat. We'd give
him the round of applause of course and gather round to view the goodies. In the
damp sack would be a treasure trove of fishy objects - calamari, shrimp,
octopus, halibut, cod, crabs, shellfish. Horrie would then go to his kitchen tub
where he'd concoct the sauce. Then the salad would be made - mint, coriander, a
little dill perhaps from the WT herb garden, and a few leaves of rocket if it were the season, big
sun drenched tomatoes and the like. When the whistle blasted at twelve thirty
prompt we'd file down to the canteen and line up, salivating.
The lads were very appreciative. It transported us
from grey old post war England with it's mashed spuds and shrivelled sausages, soggy cabbage and nuked peas -
and the
other regular meals, and meals that made us regular, ha ha - to palm trees and
sunny skies. Cheered us up no end. We'd all conga back in file singing "Me a Siamese if you
please". When Horace left WTP to go to that great cookery in the sky
the lads missed him you know, made up a plaque to give to his missus which said
"dead or alive Horace Baimbridge, you're king of the cooks in
Dartford". Aye, sad but true."
The preparation is quick and easy, in four steps.
The salad:
In a large bowl laced with butter lettuce leaves
place thinly sliced cucumber, mint , coriander, dill or rocket - any combination but plenty of
it.
Combine the sauce in a bowl:
2tbs lemon juice
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tbs chicken broth –(or 2 tsbs hot water plus 1
tsp chicken stock cube)
1 tsp sugar
2 tbs Thai fish sauce
Cook the following base for four or so minutes on
medium heat until soft but not burned:
1/2 medium onion
1 large clove garlic
Add fish balls, calamari, prawns and mushrooms for
a few minutes with the lid on pan. They will cook and steam in their own juices.
Remove all and sprinkle with lemon juice. Add thin fish pieces, such as redfish,
bream or snapper and cook for the required cooking time - a few minutes each
side, uncovered. Place the fish balls etc back in the pan together with the
sauce off heat, and combine. Place on the salad bed and zing, zing, zing.