Secrets Of The Queen's Kitchen | Real Royalty

Real Royalty32 minutes read

The royal family's dining habits focus on simplicity, quality, and meticulous presentation, with a preference for traditional dishes and specific criteria for food selection and preparation, despite occasional encounters with exotic dishes. Royal meals are smaller in portion size, emphasize quality over quantity, and are served with precision and attention to detail, maintaining long-standing traditions and expectations for perfection.

Insights

  • The royal family's dining preferences prioritize simplicity, avoiding overly spicy, cold, or large portioned foods to prevent waste and discomfort, showcasing a focus on refined yet accessible cuisine.
  • Presentation and meticulous attention to detail are paramount in royal dining experiences, with the Queen ensuring perfection in table settings and cutlery placements, emphasizing the significance of aesthetics and precision in royal meals.

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Recent questions

  • What are some key aspects of royal dining habits?

    Royal dining habits emphasize simplicity, elegance, and meticulous presentation. The royal family prefers food that is not too spicy, cold, or in large portions to avoid waste and discomfort. Quality ingredients, specific dishes like poached salmon and hollandaise sauce, and attention to detail in table settings are crucial. The Queen ensures everything is perfect before guests arrive, with a team of chefs at Buckingham Palace handling all catering needs. Traditional dishes like lamb and cabbage remain popular, and the Queen's favorite wine, Mateus Rosé, may surprise some as it is considered a budget wine.

  • How is ice cream made for royal meals?

    Royal ice cream is made from scratch using a recipe that includes 10 egg yolks, 2 pints of thick cream, 5 ounces of sugar, and plum puree. The process involves boiling the cream, mixing it with egg yolks, reheating until thickened, and adding the plum puree. The mixture is then frozen and whipped in a Royal ice-cream machine. This attention to detail and quality in making ice cream from scratch reflects the overall commitment to perfection in royal meal preparation.

  • What is the significance of presentation in royal meals?

    Presentation is crucial for royal meals, with high expectations for perfection. The Queen ensures meticulous table settings and specific placements of cutlery before guests arrive. Royal meals are smaller in portion size due to the tradition of having five meals a day, and etiquette dictates finishing all food served. The emphasis on presentation reflects the royal family's commitment to upholding a sense of elegance and sophistication in every aspect of dining.

  • What are some favorite dishes of the royal family?

    The royal family enjoys a variety of dishes, including fish and chips, lamb, cabbage, poached salmon, hollandaise sauce, and royal sausages made with a special mincemeat blend and natural casing. The Queen's favorite wine, Mateus Rosé, and her preference for fish and chips, a meal she serves herself when alone, offer insights into the personal tastes of the royal family. These traditional and familiar dishes reflect a preference for classic, well-prepared meals over extravagant or exotic options.

  • How are royal events catered for in terms of food preparation?

    At Windsor, a team of 20 chefs prepares 15,000 canapes for royal events, taking three days to make and consumed within two hours. Buckingham Palace, known as BP, is where all royal catering is organized by F branch, handling everything from cooking to administration. The attention to detail in preparing large quantities of food for royal events showcases the dedication and precision required in meeting the culinary expectations of the royal family and their guests.

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Summary

00:00

Royal Chef Reveals Queen's Dining Secrets

  • Graham Newbould was a royal chef for six years, emphasizing the need for simple yet elegant food for the royal family.
  • The royal family prefers food that is not too spicy, cold, or in large portions to avoid waste and discomfort.
  • At Windsor, a team of 20 chefs prepares 15,000 canapes for royal events, taking three days to make and consumed within two hours.
  • The Queen ensures everything is perfect before guests arrive, with meticulous table settings and specific placements of cutlery.
  • The Queen's favorite wine includes Mateus Rosé, surprising many as it is considered a budget wine from Tesco.
  • Buckingham Palace, known as BP, is where all royal catering is organized by F branch, handling everything from cooking to administration.
  • The Queen enjoys fish and chips, a favorite meal that she serves herself when alone, often accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh.
  • Royal cooking and dining habits have remained relatively unchanged for the past century, with traditional dishes like lamb and cabbage still being enjoyed.
  • The Queen's former floating palace, Britannia, hosted grand dinners with menus written in French, serving dishes similar to those at Buckingham Palace.
  • The Queen's dining experiences abroad have led to encounters with exotic dishes like suckling pig and sea slugs, with preferences for familiar foods like roast potatoes and lamb.

19:51

"Royal Ice Cream Recipe and Etiquette"

  • Making ice cream from scratch is preferred over store-bought.
  • Recipe for Royal ice cream: 10 egg yolks, 2 pints of thick cream, 5 ounces of sugar.
  • Boil cream, mix with egg yolks, reheat until thickened, add plum puree.
  • Freeze and whip the ice cream mixture in a Royal ice-cream machine.
  • Presentation is crucial for Royal meals, with high expectations for perfection.
  • Royal meals are smaller due to five meals a day; etiquette dictates finishing all food.
  • Royal sausages are made with special mincemeat blend and natural casing.
  • Prince Charles prefers a wealthier breakfast option with fresh fruit and honey.
  • Quality fish is essential for Royal meals, with specific criteria for selection.
  • Hollandaise sauce and poached salmon are key dishes for the Royal family.

39:30

Royal Family's Unique Wedding Menu Traditions

  • Harry sought more substantial food than cucumber sandwiches at Polo, where the royal family prefers seedless cucumbers; freezing bread for 15 minutes makes it easier to slice thinly for sandwiches.
  • The royal family's tradition of cutting sandwich corners dates back to avoiding pointed items for the monarch; Graham Newbold, former chef to Prince and Princess of Wales, recalls working on their royal wedding.
  • The royal wedding breakfast featured brill with lobster sauce, chicken stuffed with lamb mousse, and a minted cream sauce; lobster sauce preparation involves removing lobster intestines for a luxurious taste.
  • Lady Diana Spencer had no say in her wedding menu chosen by the Queen; the menu included lamb mousse-filled chicken named "Supreme de Volaille Princesse de Galles" and brioche breadcrumbs with a minted cream sauce.
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