Dinner for Patrick O'Brian fans

**The Nid Hog** · 10-18-2009, 02:15 PM

Any fans of O'Brian's Aubrey & Maturin novels? I have a great cookbook called "Lobscouse & Spotted Dog" that's filled with recipes from the Age of Sail. Tonight I decided to make a sea pie. I didn't want to be eating leftovers for the next week, so this is just a two-decker.

The stock bubbled up through the hatch and covered my mermaid a little bit.

**Navig8tor** · 10-18-2009, 02:46 PM

Nice job. Killick would be proud!

**my19** · 10-18-2009, 04:23 PM

Great job! Now it's time to rosin the bows and have Killick stand by with the toasted cheese ...

**Jim** · 10-18-2009, 06:16 PM

Thats a fine job! In homage to the series I started calling the bread basket a bread barge ...and its stuck in our family.
I thing a gravy covered mermaid is about as good as it gets.

**Gruder** · 10-18-2009, 06:26 PM

Very nice! I, too, enjoy these books (and would no doubt enjoy the Pie, as well!)

**Topgumby** · 10-18-2009, 08:06 PM

This is the last straw. I hereby pronounce the Nid Hog to be the good lost twin.

BTW, that looks fantastic.

**The Nid Hog** · 10-18-2009, 08:42 PM

Oh pshaw! You make me blush.

The sea pie turned out pretty good. My younger daughter is always asking me to make it, but it takes some planning and I usually wind up making an enormous freestanding one when I finally decide to do it. This one came together on the fly. I filled it with cubed roast chicken, bacon, sauteed mushrooms and onions, green peas and whatever herbs needed to be used up. Then I flooded it with broth and into the oven it went. I didn't have much dough left, so I didn't get too creative with the decorations. Sadly I had to forgo the rum ration--too much work to do tonight.

I'll put up a link to the cookbook--it's fantastic. We try to make recipes from it a couple of times during the year, especially if I can pick a day that has some kind of Nautical connection.

http://www.amazon.com/Lobscouse-Spot...5923467&sr=8-1

**Topgumby** · 10-19-2009, 12:15 AM

Nicely done.

One of the best things I got from my father, aside from a lot of his values and a Slim Adjustable, was a love of those books. He was a crestfallen when the author passed. I'm pretty certain he's reading the continuing series in the hereafter.

I finished the Hornblower books, again, not long ago. Time to revisit Lucky Jack and the Doctor.

I swear, if I find anymore similarities between myself and the esteemed Mr. Nid Hog, I am going to hide my wife if he ever comes to town....

**WhosYerBob** · 10-19-2009, 02:05 AM

Awesome pie you have there - and I love the Aubrey–Maturin books. Just started "The Surgeon's Mate" a couple nights ago.

**The Nid Hog** · 10-19-2009, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by Topgumby

Nicely done.

One of the best things I got from my father, aside from a lot of his values and a Slim Adjustable, was a love of those books. He was a crestfallen when the author passed. I'm pretty certain he's reading the continuing series in the hereafter.

I finished the Hornblower books, again, not long ago. Time to revisit Lucky Jack and the Doctor.

I swear, if I find anymore similarities between myself and the esteemed Mr. Nid Hog, I am going to hide my wife if he ever comes to town....

When I was a kid, my dad took me to the library and checked out the first book in the Hornblower series for me. I liked them, but they've lost a little of their luster after I discovered O'Brian. I was kind of late finding the series (not long before O'Brian died), but I love them. I reread the first couple this summer.

Not to worry about the wife! I'm sure that she's much too nice to be more than polite, and Mrs. Nid Hog keeps me on a very short leash.

**ScottyB** · 10-23-2009, 12:10 PM

Any recipes for soused hogs face? In one of the first couple of books Jack says "clap onto its beak head". For whatever reason that always struck me as funny.

And I've always wondered what plum duff is.

**Biffo** · 10-23-2009, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by ScottyB

Any recipes for soused hogs face? In one of the first couple of books Jack says "clap onto its beak head". For whatever reason that always struck me as funny.

And I've always wondered what plum duff is.

http://www.traditionalenglishpudding...4plumduff.html

Its a bit heavy to have often but a nice winter pudding once in a while

**ia_james** · 10-23-2009, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by The Nid Hog

When I was a kid, my dad took me to the library and checked out the first book in the Hornblower series for me. I liked them, but they've lost a little of their luster after I discovered O'Brian. I was kind of late finding the series (not long before O'Brian died), but I love them. I reread the first couple this summer.

I had the same experience with Hornblower and Aubrey.

**MoreSaltThanPepper** · 10-29-2009, 05:37 AM

A friend of mine got married recently (some guys don't learn the first time but I digress) and I went looking for "the gift".

A local bookstore had the series and the cookbook as a bundle. Perfect. Now, I see the pie you made and think I should have got two copies . . .

Do you have a favourite recipe?

Regards,

- John

**The Nid Hog** · 10-29-2009, 11:46 AM

Originally Posted by MoreSaltThanPepper

A friend of mine got married recently (some guys don't learn the first time but I digress) and I went looking for "the gift".

A local bookstore had the series and the cookbook as a bundle. Perfect. Now, I see the pie you made and think I should have got two copies . . .

Do you have a favourite recipe?

Regards,

- John

I haven't made anything other than sea pie for a while--for some strange reason my kids see it as a family recipe and they want it when they feel like eating "comfort food." I do remember that the drowned baby turned out to be a nice dessert. I'll pull the book out later and see what I've marked as a keeper.

**sparkchaser** · 10-29-2009, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by The Nid Hog

Oh pshaw! You make me blush.

The sea pie turned out pretty good. My younger daughter is always asking me to make it, but it takes some planning and I usually wind up making an enormous freestanding one when I finally decide to do it. This one came together on the fly. I filled it with cubed roast chicken, bacon, sauteed mushrooms and onions, green peas and whatever herbs needed to be used up. Then I flooded it with broth and into the oven it went. I didn't have much dough left, so I didn't get too creative with the decorations. Sadly I had to forgo the rum ration--too much work to do tonight.

I'll put up a link to the cookbook--it's fantastic. We try to make recipes from it a couple of times during the year, especially if I can pick a day that has some kind of Nautical connection.

http://www.amazon.com/Lobscouse-Spot...5923467&sr=8-1

Wow. I know what I am asking to get for Christmas.