Signal Box Bacon Fry-Up
What you need
- A few rashers of bacon
- A little cooking oil or dripping
- A sturdy frying pan
- A cast-iron stove with a good hotplate
- A mug of tea for the signalman
Method
- Get the stove going — make sure the fire is established and the hotplate is properly hot. In a signal box, keep anything flammable well away from the stove.
- Warm the pan — place the frying pan directly on the hotplate and add a small amount of oil or dripping.
- Add the bacon — lay the rashers in the pan and listen for that satisfying sizzle.
- Cook slowly — turn the bacon occasionally, moving the pan to a cooler part of the hotplate if it starts cooking too fiercely.
- Crisp to taste — cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon is golden around the edges.
- Serve immediately — ideally with bread, a mug of strong tea, and a quick glance out of the signal-box window to make sure the railway is still behaving itself.
Signal-box tip: The best cooking temperature is usually found by moving the pan around the hotplate rather than trying to control the fire itself. A cast-iron stove gives you plenty of heat but takes its time changing temperature.