With speculation mounting about everything from the dress to the carriages and the food to the fascinators, everyone wants a taste of royal wedding magic. And what better way to join in than to try some of the delicious food favoured at the palace?
Former royal chef Darren McGrady worked for the family for 15 years until shortly after Princess Diana’s death in 1997, and was there to make Prince William’s top childhood treats.
“William was still young then, a teenager with a teen palette,” recalls Darren. “He loved cottage pie. He’d always ask for that when he came home from school.”
The young prince had a sweet tooth back then too.
“The chocolate biscuit cake is a recipe they’ve been using at the palace for a long time,” says Darren. “We made it at least twice a month. William loved it and it’s always been the Queen’s favourite. We used to serve it at Windsor Castle, when William was back from Eton.”
So why not give your family a royal banquet on Friday with some of Darren’s best-loved recipes from his days at the palace..
Cottage Pie
The beef base
●1.5 lbs ground beef
●2 small yellow onions (finely chopped)
●2 tbsps corn oil
●1/3 cup all purpose flour
●2 cups water
●2 bouillon cubes
●1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
●1 or 2 tsp dried thyme
The potato topping
●2 lbs (peeled weight) red potatoes
●1/4 cup butter
●1/4 cup heavy cream
●2 tsps salt
●1/8 tsps ground white pepper
●1/8 tsps ground nutmeg
●1 egg yolk
●1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 In a large saucepan over a high flame, heat the oil and add finely chopped onion. Saute the onion until soft and translucent. Add the ground beef and break up using a wooden spoon. Saute the beef until it has all browned. Gradually stir in flour, thyme water, bouillon cubes and Worcestershire sauce.
2 Reduce heat to low and simmer the meat (so it is just bubbling) for about 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from stove and using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef into an earthenware pie dish. (Using the slotted spoon will ensure the beef is not too wet to hold the potatoes and also leave you some sauce to serve with the finished pie). Leave the beef mix to cool and a skin to form. (Up to this stage can be done several days before and cooled and stored in the refrigerator).
3 Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water (about an inch above the potatoes). Cover and bring to boil over high heat. Lower heat to a simmer until the potatoes are tender (about 20 minutes). Drain the water off the potatoes and return dry potatoes to a low heat for one to two minutes to dry them. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or pass through a ricer.
4 Add the butter, salt, pepper, ground nutmeg, egg yolk and cream and stir into the potato mix. Spoon, or pipe using a wide star tube, on to the top of the beef mix and sprinkle the grated cheddar over the potatoes.
5 Bake in a preheated oven (180C) for about 20 to 30 minutes until the potatoes are golden brown and the pie has heated through.
Gleneagles Pate
(Serves 8-10)
●2 lbs smoked salmon, thinly sliced and divided
●1 lb smoked trout
●1.5 lbs unsalted butter, softened
and divided into six sticks
●1 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
●1 tsp lemon juice
●1 lbs smoked mackerel
●1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives
1 Line a 1lb loaf tin or pate terrine with plastic wrap, overlapping the sides. Take half of the smoked salmon and line the sides and bottom of the loaf tin. Overlap the top edge by two inches so the salmon will fold over and cover the filling.
2 Remove and discard the skin from the smoked trout, then place the trout in a food processor and chop finely; add 1/2lb of the butter to the processor. Blend again until smooth and add chopped dill and lemon juice. Carefully spread the trout mixture into the loaf tin on top of the smoked salmon and smooth the top. Place the loaf tin in the freezer for 10 minutes while you prepare the second layer.
3Clean food processor bowl. Remove and discard skin from the mackerel, and place the mackerel into the food processor; chop finely. Add two sticks of butter and blend until smooth. Take the loaf tin from the freezer, and spread mackerel mixture smoothly on top of the trout layer. Place the loaf tin in the freezer for 10 minutes while you prepare the third layer.
4 Clean the food processor bowl. Place remaining smoked salmon in the food processor and chop finely. Add remaining two sticks of butter and chives to the processor and blend again until smooth. Remove loaf tin from the freezer, and spread the smoked salmon on top of the mackerel. Smooth the top.
5 Fold the overlapping pieces of smoked salmon over the top layer of the almon spread. Cover the top with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight, or for at least four hours, until firm. Remove from refrigerator and lift off top plastic wrap.
6 Invert the terrine on to a cutting board and remove the loaf tin and additional plastic wrap. Slice the terrine into one inch slices. Serve on salad leaves as an appetizer or slice the terrine into fingers and serve on crackers as a canape.
Beef Wellington
●3lb beef tenderloin cut from the middle or tail
●1 tbsp olive oil
●1 tsp salt
●1 tsp ground black pepper
●½ tsp English mustard powder
●¼ tsp celery seeds
●8 oz of a good liver pate
●1 lb portobello mushrooms – pureed in a blender
●1 small onion – finely diced
●1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
●¼ cup heavy cream
●2 oz butter
●1 egg – beaten for glazing
●1 box Dufour classic puff
pastry (14oz)
●OR 1 box Pepperidge farm puff pastry (1.1lb)
1 In a large pan add the butter, onion and salt and cook until the onion softens. Add mushrooms and sweat until the liquid evaporates. Add cream and Worcestershire sauce and reduce again to a smooth paste. Adjust the seasoning and set aside to cool.
2 Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and season the beef with the mixture of salt, pepper, mustard and celery seeds. Sear the beef on all sides and then remove to cool completely. Preheat the oven to 200C.
3 Roll out the pastry to fit the size of the beef. Spread the mushroom mix (duxelles) over the pastry leaving at least three inches around the edges. Slice the pate and layer in the centre of the pastry and place the tenderloin on top. Fold the pastry and mushroom mix over the tenderloin and stick with the beaten egg. Neatly fold in the two ends. Turn the Wellington upside down on to a baking sheet so the pastry crease is underneath. And brush the top of the pastry with the remaining egg.
4 Place the Wellington into the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 180C and cook for a further 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least five minutes before slicing. Trim off the ends of pastry and cut into six nice slices and serve with a Madeira wine sauce or a hollandaise.
