Cooking a la James Bond

Barbel

From time to time in the Bond books, Fleming gives us details of what James Bond likes to eat. It's not a subject that's frequently discussed so I thought I'd open a thread on the subject so we can compare what Our Man likes against what we like.

Ian Fleming’s recipe for scrambled eggs for four (one of Bond’s favourite dishes):
12 fresh eggs
Salt and pepper
5-6 oz. of fresh butter.
Break the eggs into a bowl. Beat thoroughly with a fork and season well. In a small copper (or heavy bottomed saucepan) melt four oz. of the butter. When melted, pour in the eggs and cook over a very low heat, whisking continuously with a small egg whisk.
While the eggs are slightly more moist than you would wish for eating, remove the pan from heat, add rest of butter and continue whisking for half a minute, adding the while finely chopped chives or fines herbes. Serve on hot buttered toast in individual copper dishes (for appearance only) with pink champagne (Taittinger) and low music.

Much as I hate to disagree with Our Founder, I find the results of this recipe too sloppy and liquid for my taste- I’d halve the amount of butter. For convenience I use normal plates, while for budgetary reasons I don’t serve it with champagne (the low music isn’t a problem).

One of my favourite recipes:
Grate an appropriate amount of cheese(s) of your choice.
Add to a bowl with soy sauce, cumin, salt and pepper (amounts of each to your choice). Stir well.
Toast bread of your choice on one side only. Spread the untoasted side with the above cheese mixture, and top with sliced tomato.
Grill to your satisfaction.

Anyone got a favourite recipe?

Chriscoop

not so much a recipe, but I do like a few of the dishes from casino royale, I'm a big seafood lover so obviously the langouste, tornedos underdone with bearnaise sauce, but I prefer my beef rare-medium not underdone, also I generally modify the bearnaise to include black pepper, it's made as a bearnaise with clarified butter, egg yolks and herbs etc but I heavily pepper the butter and on occasion add a few shavings of parmesan cheese.
Not a great lover of caviar though I will eat it if it's offered, I'd prefer to spend my money on oysters. I agree with Barbel that there is too much butter in Bonds recipe though I do like soft scrambled eggs, I also omit the chives and herbs at breakfast, but will include at lunch or dinner.

Thunderpussy

This is a bit absurd but, in Moonraker ( I think ) Bond mentions having to make do with some
RAF ham sandwiches. So now when having a ham sandwich, I always think of MR. )
With Bond crammed In to an uncomfortable seat in an old bomber, being offered some
Bad coffee and a limp ham sandwich.

Chriscoop

I've never associated the humble ham sandwich with bond. Though the naafi was maligned by a lot of grunts I always enjoyed myself in them, interesting they have a chain of restaurants now called JB's

Thunderpussy

Mine must have lashings of Coleman's English mustard !

Quiche de cabinet ( from AVTAK ) although " Real men don't eat Quiche" !

CoolHandBond

It may be in GF (?) that Bond has stone crabs on toast with melted butter with champagne (I stand to be corrected) but Fleming's description made me feel very hungry and it was many years until I was able to sample the delights of that particular dish and it was well worth waiting for

My favourite dish at the moment is grilled fish fresh from the market with an assortment of peppers and veg in a sauce that the maid cooks. It's her day off today but when she returns I will ask her for the ingredients and update later but the flavour of the sauce is utterly amazing.

Chriscoop

CoolHandBond wrote:

It may be in GF (?) that Bond has stone crabs on toast with melted butter with champagne (I stand to be corrected) but Fleming's description made me feel very hungry and it was many years until I was able to sample the delights of that particular dish and it was well worth waiting for

My favourite dish at the moment is grilled fish fresh from the market with an assortment of peppers and veg in a sauce that the maid cooks. It's her day off today but when she returns I will ask her for the ingredients and update later but the flavour of the sauce is utterly amazing.

I like all seafood, in America I enjoyed the huge snow crab, Mrs coop is not that happy eating things from shells so I don't have the chance to eat much these days

Barbel

Bride of Barbel is veggie, as are Son of Barbel and Barbel's Daughter. As the only carnivore I usually grab a burger or something when out.

Chriscoop

Its quite commendable on many levels being veggie or vegan but I just love meat far too much.

CoolHandBond

CoolHandBond wrote:

It may be in GF (?) that Bond has stone crabs on toast with melted butter with champagne (I stand to be corrected) but Fleming's description made me feel very hungry and it was many years until I was able to sample the delights of that particular dish and it was well worth waiting for

My favourite dish at the moment is grilled fish fresh from the market with an assortment of peppers and veg in a sauce that the maid cooks. It's her day off today but when she returns I will ask her for the ingredients and update later but the flavour of the sauce is utterly amazing.

The sauce comprises a mixture of Kalamansi juice, brown sugar, salt, flour, ginger, honey, white wine vinegar, garlic and crushed chilli pepper. She won't give me the quantities used thus ensuring continued employment )

ggl007

Check this: http://www.directoalpaladar.com/cultura-gastronomica/las-recetas-de-james-bond-porque-no-solo-de-dry-martinis-vive-el-agente-secreto

Thunderpussy

I seem to remember from the books, Bond ordered plenty of salads. Even mixing
His own dressing ?

Silhouette Man

Thunderpussy wrote:

I seem to remember from the books, Bond ordered plenty of salads. Even mixing
His own dressing ?

Aaaah, those were his salad days! )

Jag

Barbel wrote:

Bride of Barbel is veggie, as are Son of Barbel and Barbel's Daughter. As the only carnivore I usually grab a burger or something when out.

Well done, Bride of Barbel, Son of Barbel and Barbel's Daughter!

Also, well done, Barbel, for not being too much of a pest when at home... )

IanT

Oeufs Gloria - yum yum yum

My recipe for it, pertinent with Christmas looming...

Serves 2
6 Eggs
230ml milk
60ml double cream
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp English mustard
1 tbsp French mustard
1 tsp salt
50g Grated Cheddar cheese
Pinch of pepper
1. Boil the eggs until hard boiled and allow to cool. Once cool, shell the eggs, cut into quarters and arrange in an ovenproof dish.
2. Turn on the oven to 180C
3. Melt the butter over a gentle heat and mix in the flour to create a thick paste.
4. Add the milk and whisk until the sauce thickens and comes to the boil. Then simmer for 3 minutes.
5. Whisk in the remaining ingredients and then pour over the eggs.
6. Place the eggs in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Serve with a green salad.