I opened my mother-in-law’s school dinner cookery book (she was in charge of providing school lunches in Surrey in the 1950’s and 60’s) and I’m looking at pages 84-86, and I wonder if any of these four recipes would ever be served in schools today, and if they were whether the school cooks would have any customers for them –
- bacon and cheese pie
- liver and bacon hot pot
- stuffed liver with bacon
- Welsh leek pie
They all sound jolly delicious to me, but then again, I’m not a modern young person. I’m not sure what school lunches are like now, and if I could transport myself from my childhood into a school, whether I would like what’s on offer today!
The bacon and cheese pie consists of layers of fried onions and bacon, cheese, tinned or fresh tomatoes, more onions, potatoes, topped with more grated cheese, and then the dish filled up with milk or water. I guess the cheese and milk/water would make a sort of sauce. The serving suggestion is watercress or salad.
Liver and bacon hot pot is very simple (and considering the quantities that had to be made for a school full of children, time saving) fried liver, onions and bacon, with a layer of fried tomatoes, covered with gravy and then sliced potatoes brushed with dripping. This dinner is sprinkled with chopped parsley before serving.
Stuffed liver with bacon is also simple, the liver is cut up, dipped in seasoned flour, covered first with stock and then a layer of stuffing. Streaky bacon rashers are laid across the top – more copped parsley is applied and it’s served with gravy.
Welsh leek pie has only four ingredients, and would be very economical, hearty and filling – just right for classrooms with less than perfect heating systems and no double glazing on the windows. The bacon and leeks are cooked “for a short time”. The tins are lined with cooked potato and all the leeks and bacon and cheese, the rest of the potatoes layered across the top, the remaining cheese and seasoning applied and the finished dish is served with parsley sauce.
For many children this would have been the only meal of the day, and although to some these days there would seem to be far too much fat people were far more active, walked or cycled everywhere, did not have central heating at home, and needed those extra calories. I’m not sure what vegetables would be served, but apart from pulses, they would be fresh and probably – in that part of the country, locally grown.
My featured image is of the late Milton Road School in Cambridge, demolished by urban vandals to make way for some sort of “develpoment”.
Lois Elsden 