Your Submarine Cook Was a Piece of Work, but not from Hell

UPDATE (16 Apr 2009): Chef on Royal Navy submarine HMS Tireless on secrets of feeding 130 under the sea

PO Bailey's ability to stay calm under pressure and his dedication to producing fresh, home-made food on missions have prompted his crew to compare him with Gordon Ramsay.

Our 1st class cook was never very popular with the crew despite his considerable talents. Apparently, he had some abilities besides submarine commissary that made the MMs and TMs suspicious, jealous, or both.

Two things always amazed me about our infamous cook, who was loud and gave as good as he got:

1- When did the guy manage to qualify? He had done so in jig time and subsequently proved he knew his stuff responding to a real emergency when it counted most. and;

2- Considering the rumors spread about him by our TMs and MMs, how did he avoid the brig? -He never deserved it and his attainments after retiring from the Navy proved the integrity and executive ability for which leading submarine cooks have been legendary.

Cooks always seemed to get a bad rap. How were yours? Too few cook sea stories from submarines (if you have got one, please share it).

The photo above is of course the famous TV personality ( the 'Chef from Hell'), Gordon Ramsay, one of only three chefs in the United Kingdom to hold three Michelin stars at one time.

Here's a 90-sec scullery drama from what appears to one of those fancy Trident subs:

Like the cook staff uniforms on UK subs? ...

Chef Ramsay claims, 'The problem with Yanks is they are wimps.' But like submariners, this chef is a veritable man of action. See the bird salad in the photo at top? That bird is the Atlantic Puffin, not our usual food bird.

Ramsey brought a team of six people to Laekjarbrekka to shoot the puffin feast. ... Ramsey liked the puffin they prepared for him. According to chef intern Saevar Pálsson, he’s going to try to hunt a puffin himself in the Westman Islands.

Want to try Puffin? Here's the plain recipe (not Ramsay's): Remove feathers, clean, soak in milk for three days to remove oil. Fry meat, salt and pepper to taste. ..............................................................................................................................................

Have a flair for cooking like Bothenook? Try this one-day Icelandic recipe (see Mjólkursoðinn lundi), which adds bacon and a caramel, redcurrant jelly or whipped cream sauce. ......................................................................................................................................................

Iceland has some excellent fare as a I remember. One day at brunch, hotel patrons were seated at only one other table - that was the only time I ever encountered Johnny Carson in person.