shit on a raft

Memory confused (served 1961 to 1971) having read the submariners recipe for shit on a raft it's not the scran I was thinking of. This was a dinner-type, main course dish - large serving dish topped up with kidneys and swimming in a rich/thick brown sauce - ruddy delicious!!! Anyone any ideas what it was, and is there a recipe anywhere?

 

Shit on a Raft Recipe

Take one pound kidneys.
Clean them and cut into small pieces discarding all the white fatty bits and sinews.
Place in a pan of fresh water (DO NOT ADD SALT)
Bring to the boil and simmer for about 10 minutes until tender.
Thicken the liquid with Bisto (or your preferred gravy mix)
Eat & enjoy.

 

Thanks Slim - sounds more like it.

 

Heres a recepie.

http://www.submariners.co.uk/Dits/Recipes/stonaraft.htm

 

Must be one of the few who can't stand the look, smell or taste of this particular dish.

SF

 

Thanks to Slim & SF. Can't understand SF's dislike of this cordon bleu dish.
But when I think about it, shit on a raft - like a lot of pusser's scran - was an acquired taste, made much better by the prior consumption of a tot or two!!! Thanks for all your advice and comments.

 

I can only remeber shit on a raft being served at breakfast, but then it was so long ago.

 

Shit on a raft and the full english was a god send after a set of Night duty.A big spoonful on a nice bit of fried bread!Heaven!

 

Like Hig and Andy, I never saw it as a main course dish. Always at breakfast as part of a full English.
Especiall good after a night on the deck.
RoofRat

 

Perhaps submariners did things differently to us skimmers Higs & Andy.
I always remember it being served with breakfast. Asked if ti was available for breakfast in June at HMS Nelson when I was there for the HMS Manchester reunion. Informed that it wasn't served at weekends but they did sometimes have it on the menu. It was a great reunion but sh!t on a raft would have made it a fantastic one

 

Maybe the sensitive palates of todays matelot arent up to Shit on a Raft?I mean it is offal!Not that todays Yoof knows where it comes from.It could be a reluctance on the part of the chefs of course.Personally i beleive its a secret thats handed down from Chief Chef to deserving minions.I have tried to replicate the dish on numerous occaisions but failed miserably.Even with my Certificate of Merit from the RN School of Cookery in HMS Pembroke its beyond my skills.The closest i came was using the small tins of PEK Kidneys in gravy and a few other choice ingredients.Also pussers baked beans, love 'em,but where do they get them from?The only ones to come close are the Compo rat pack ones with a lump of butter added.

 

In my day "shit on a raft" or "Excreta a-la Kon Tiki" for th bunhouse was only served for breakfast as a seperate dish of the shit (kidneys in gravy) on the raft (fried bread).

Food of the Gods, just about the only day when everybody got out of their pits to eat breakfast.

Nutty

the link http://www.submariners.co.uk/ given before has an extensive listing of RN menues from days past. In dits and bits

Apple Crumble and Custard
Babies Heads
Baked Stuffed Apples
BBQ Marinated Lamb Chops
Better Than Sex Cake
Bourbon balls
Carrot Cake
Cheese Ush
Cheesy Hammy Eggy
Chicken Sate
Chinese Wedding Cake
Christmas Cake
Curried Prawn with Coconut Milk (Jhinga moli)
Elephant's Footprints
Figgy Duff (or Sticky Date Pudding)
Grilled kippers with scrambled eggs
Jam Roly-Poly
Kye
Macaroni Pudding
Nine -o- clockers
Pussers Mushy Peas
Pussers Pot Mess
Rhubarb Pie
S**t On A Raft
Sago or Semolina puddings
Spithead Pheasant topped with poached egg
Spotted Dick
Three-tier Wedding Cake
Tiddy Oggies
Train Smash
Who gives a f***, it tastes good

 

Nutty or Slim, I was looking up Cheese Ush on the site you suggested and one ingredient has me baffled, at least I can't remember it . What are "Arries", drained? Tomato's?
Cheers. If I get the answer today, the Missus may be getting Cheese Ush for tea :lol:
RoofRat

 

Got no idea what Arries are, must be a submariners expression. Must say I can't remember any tomatoes in the cheese ush though.

 

Arrigoni's are as you suspect whole tinned tomatos. So named as the original supplier was a company called Arrigoni, must have been cheap if pusser bought them.

Peter

 

Cheers for the list, Nutty. Mmmm... Babies' Heads.. dinner of champions!

 

Talking of babies heads. Where can you buy them. I don't meant the crap fray bentos S&K puddings sold in the supermarkets which are nothing like the pussers variety. I mean the nice soft suet pastry which melts in the mouth containing sumptions S&K in a rich grave.

 

The only time I ever ate shit on a raft was in pompey DQ's.
As a rule i dont normally eat liver/kidney, but after running a mile before breakfast you would eat anything then...

 

No the civvie catering firms Pusser uses now just don't know what it is.

 

Thanks Peter, I happen to have a tin of Toms in the larder mmmmmmmmh