History Cookbook: Golden Slices

Healthiness : (10 votes)

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Number of servings: 3 people
Serving suggestions: Eat while hot


This bread-based recipe is from WW2. Bread was never rationed in Britain in wartime. However, white bread disappeared and was replaced by the long coarse grey/brown ?national loaf'. People were encouraged to use up all food, including stale breadcrumbs and crusts. These were used in a variety of meals including cooked and mashed with parsnips and banana essence to make what might taste a bit like mashed banana or, as in this recipe, flavoured with orange or lemon as a sweet substitute.

• stale bread (rather than stale bread, leave a couple of slices out for a while to dry out)
• equivalent of 2 shell eggs in reconstituted egg (you will probably want to use real egg
• 1 heaped teaspoonful of grated orange or lemon peel
• 1 dessertspoonful of orange juice
• margarine (you may want to use cooking oil)

• Soup bowl
• Teaspoon
• Dessert spoon
• Grater
• Frying pan
• Wooden spatula

Always wash your hands before preparing food.

1. Cut the pieces of stale or dry bread ½ inch thick
2. Beat up the egg mixture in a soup bowl
3. Add the grated peel and orange juice
4. Soak the stale bread in the mixture
5. Fry in a little margarine until golden brown on both sides
6. Sprinkle with sugar if you have it
7. Serve piping hot