Macrea Kipper Fillets!

Tonight I got home from work and was ravenous and couldn't settle on anything to eat so rather belatedly I hit the freezer to see what I had and which took my fancy.  I ended up with a bag of boil in the bag kippers and some bread and butter followed by some melon and ginger for pudding;.

That simple meal bought back many memories for me; memories that had not been ressurected for some time.  This meal is one that I used to have regularly when I was growing up but which I first tried at the home of my Aunty Rene and when I went to visit it was a regular Saturday night tea, with Marks & Spencers Orange and Mint chocolate covered wafer biscuits as a treat for afters.

My Aunt lived in Wellingore Hall nr Lincoln in what were originally the kitchens and which had been converted to a flat for my Aunt and her family.  My Great Aunty Kit actually bought the Hall and turned it into posh residential flats for professional people.  A Beautiful building that had its own ballroom and library and had many decorated beautiful plasterwork ornate ceilings and which was filled with antiques and was a wondeful place for a 3 1/2 year old child to roam safely.  The added attraction for me wasthat there were horses.  Symphony & Refuge and Mella and Kitty.  The Hall had its own Stables attached formed in a big square with a massive white stone mounting block in the Courtyard and hay lofts that were just holes in the floor.  I remember being up in those lofts and helping to put the hay away in the summer months although for obvious reasons I was never left unattended.

The kippers we had then were . Macrae Kipper fillets.  (Do you remember them?) and it quickly became one of my favourite meals.  I was lucky in that my Aunty Rene used to have me to stay for a week in the summer holidays every year until I reached the age of 17; this had all started on the birth of my brother who was born at home; and I was then packed off to my Aunty's home for the first time so that my mum could get over having him and get into a routine with him without me being in the way.  

Smoked kippers and melon with ginger quite sophisticated tastes for a 3 1/2 year old at the time.  However, this Aunty is very responsible for introducing me to nice restaurants and good quality nice things.  Her home was filled with beautiful things she had a good eye and good taste and was very generous with her time and money and I was spoiled "nicely".  I loved going to stay with them.

My Aunt is no longer with us but that simple meal tonight sparked off some happy memories for me.  Its funny how something so simple can be the match that lit the candle and triggered a whole host of buried memories that are so much a part of me, but tinged with a little sadness as those much loved relatives are no longer here.

Do you have any particular memories associated with food?

Catch you soon

Pattypan

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