Feeding Under Fire: A First World War cooking web series which teaches you how to make trench food and learn about those who had to eat it during the First World War
History, stories, nutritional and dietary information AND a cooking show – what else do you need?
This episode crosses the lines and examines French soldier’s food during the First World War.
The fifth episode of the Feeding Under Fire public engagement series from Simon Walker PhD Candidate at the University of Strathclyde whose research is focused on the experiences of soldiers in the First World War.
This episode is also part of The Recipe Project’s digital conversation and there is a discussion on twitter about this and other recipes throughout the day on the 3rd of July. Come join in!
#recipesproject
Simon Harold Walker – University Of Strathclyde, simon.h.walker@strath.ac.uk
Contact me on twitter at @Dark_Nocterna
Music courtesy of
Title card design and Subtitles: Elena Romero Passerin
Special guest: Elena Romero-Passerin
References:
Livre De Cuisine Militaire Aux Manoeuvres et En Campagne (Paris: Librairie Militaire R. Chapelot et Cie, 1909), accessed on Gallica 01/07/2017.
Cuisine roulante bien protégée, un poilu goûte le jus avec satisfaction, dans un abri en sacs de terre et rondins (press photograph), Agence de presse Meurisse, accessed on Gallica 01/07/2017
La cuisine des poilus (press photograph), 1915, Agence de presse Meurisse, accessed on Gallica 01/07/2017
Lucien Barou, Mémoires de la Grande Guerre – 187 Poilus du Forez et de sa périphérie témoignent, Volume 3, 1916 (Saint-Étienne: Loire Departmental Archives, 2014).
The War Office, The British Army Cook Book 1914 Reprint, (Gloucestershire, 2014).
Matthew Richardson, The Hunger War: Food, Rations and Rationing, 1914-1918 (Barnsley: Pen and Sword Military, 2015), p.11
Additional reading:
A. Clayton, Paths of Glory, The French Army 1914-18, (London: Cassell Military Paperback, 2005).
R. Duffett. The Stomach for Fighting: Food and the Soldiers of the Great War (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2012).
A. Robertshaw, Feeding Tommy, Battlefield Recipes from the First World War, (Gloucestershire, 2013)
D. Winter, Death’s Men: Soldiers of The Great War (London, 2014).
♣ All you need to make his for 2 people is
♣ 1 kg of potatoes
♣ 1 large onion
♣ 1 tablespoon of lard
♣ 650 ml of water
♣ 1/2 tablespoon of salt
Making the Rata is very easy:
– Peel your pre-cooked potatoes and then cut into thick slices
– Cut the lard into small square (1 spoons)
– Peel 1 onion and finely chop
– Put the lard in the pan on a medium heat until melted
– Add the onion – cook for a minute whilst moving it
– Add the potato
– Add to two thirds of the salt
– Spoon the lard over the potatoes
– Then add water
– Boil and then let it simmer for 15 minutes
– Taste and add the salt as necessary-
And you are done!
Thanks for watching and enjoy the rata, its actually very good!