Cabbage rimed with frost, impersonating a lamprey
The concept of dying from a surfeit of lampreys intrigues me in that a single mouthful of lamprey could well constitute a surfeit in the mind of one unfamiliar with lamprey. Now that you are familiar, I think that you will agree with me that one look at a lamprey constitutes a surfeit. The death of King Henry I of England, who was French, from such a surfeit suggests to me that he was a reasonable man who had reached that point of frustration with his English chef’s tireless declarations of the superiority of good English fare over foreign muck up with which he could no longer put. He sent word to Chef Gordon of Ramsay to put up or shut up and Gordon, being who he was, chose the former, but chucked in a “fuck off” rather than do the latter. History tells us that lampreys are rarely, if ever, mentioned after that point in time. It had been mooted that the lamprey would be suitable to use in a unit of avoirdupoids measurement to be known as “perch, pike or lamprey” which, after the surfeit, was hurriedly changed to “perch, pike or rod” the latter of which was used vigorously on the unfortunate chef leading to the culinary term: “beat until stiff”.
Food, Photography & France 
That’s a stunningly beautiful cabbage. I’m very keen to try the lamprey pie cooked by Clarissa Dickson Wright, recreating a dish eaten at Pepys anniversary 🙂
I have to say that the look of the lamprey, together with its rather unpleasant characteristics, has put me off the idea of lamprey pie…however toothsome Clarissa’s pie would undoubtedly be:)
I agree with you on looks, but she was very positive about it having a rich, delicate flavour 🙂
Clarissa knew what she was doing…I just wouldn’t like to do her shopping:)
I want nothing to do with that thing, cooked, uncooked, ever. But that cabbage is a thing of beauty.
Ha ha – if you’d seen Clarissa’s pie you might change your mind – it was as beautiful as Roger’s cabbage 🙂
I’ll have to take a look but I’m having nightmares …waking ones, seeing that thing.
The final pie was a huge hot crust raised pastry affair and when cut, the cooked lapreys looked a lot like tuna. I’ve looked for video of the TV programme a couple of times without success, which is disappointing since the dishes are unique to the period.
Truly horrific, isn’t it:)
🙂
Hold the lamprey for Amanda:)
Very nice shot of a Cabb arge. Can¹t wait to read your April fools post, could be better than spaghetti trees!
Keep on going, this will make a great book, just forward hi-res and I¹ll see you right when it hits the bookshelves!
Coolio!
On 18/1/16 16:56, “Food, Photography & France” wrote:
> Food,Photography & France posted: ” The concept of dying from a surfeit of > lampreys intrigues me in that a single mouthful of lamprey could well > constitute a surfeit in the mind of one unfamiliar with lamprey. Now that you > are familiar, I think that you will agree with me that one look ” >
I’d love to do something like that….it does seem that everyone and his mother is writing a book at the moment…how could one possibly attract a publisher? By the way, you should check out Larry Barker’s new novel “The Fruit & Veg Man”…it sounds to be very funny indeed:)
Glorious photo Roger. I can imagine Chef Gordon doing just that…
He can blame it all on his ancestors:)
Stunning photo- just goes to show, ice and frost can be a photographer’s best friend. Avoirdupois measurements- there’s an interesting memory, along with ‘up with which he could not ‘- hilarious as usual.
I not sure if measurements of length are included in avoirdupoids…maybe there’s a separate system of avoirdulongueur:)
weights? what was it all about, Alfie? It was such a long time ago.
Beautiful photo. An unexpected elucidatory reading to start my day 🙂
Glad to hear it….I guess you won’t have much frost where you are:)
Actually we do have frost in the winter here with minus 4,5,6 nights, but it disappears pretty quickly.
I never realised that…not well enough traveled, that’s evident:)
Disturbing. Fascinating, but disturbing. But yes, there are recipes, I love this sentence from one: Preparing the lamprey is not the most enjoyable stage of the process. Cheers!
Brilliant understatement…thanks for the visit:)
I shall copy Mad [have great respect for his knowledge!!] and make you hate me forever by saying that one Gordon R, when not being paid stupidly vast amounts by the US, is actually a very good cook: 😀 !!
I agree with you wholeheartedly. Great chef he is, but he does suffer from voluntary Tourette’s, like myself:)
Great photo, Roger, but a god-awful reference. Even so, loved the link you supplied. Nasty looking beast but the commentary was Nobel Prize worthy.
Who else could link such a wonderful photo to a monster lamprey and Gordon Ramsey? Love this! Especially the cabbage.
Thanks, Catherine…surprising what happens when one speaks of cabbages and kings:)
I knew about the “surfeit of lampreys” from primary school age, but always thought they were a kind of eel.
..but not as we know them Jim:)
The first thing I thought of was a lamprey eel. I have never seen this “cabbage”. Does it taste good?
You’re right, I was writing about a lamprey, which is an eel like creature as per the link that shows it in all its horridness! The cabbage is just a normal cabbage grown in this part of France.
Not sure If I get it. It is 5:00 am. Is this a play on words?
Stunning, stunning cabbage – but oh my god how gross was that Lamprey? Am going to check out Mad’s recommendation as I do trust him but I think I’ll take quite a lot of convincing!
I am going to leave that Mad Pie to the Mad Man:)
That’s a stunning shot, Roger. Converting the cabbage haters (I am not one of them!) 🙂
You couldn’t hate a cabbage like that, could you:)
Roger , some day I hope we get to share a glass or two in person (partners invited, bien sûr) … I want to see “in the flesh” where some of these thoughts originate! Fabulous photo … a gorgeous chou!
That would be brilliant, Patricia, and many thanks for the kind words:)
That lamprey. “A penis with a vagina attached to it with teeth”… Quality!
…it’s teeth that make it so wrong:)