For anyone looking to whip up a meal fit for the Queen, her long-time chef has a couple pointers: keep it simple, use plenty of butter and avoid garlic at all costs.
- Watch the Queen's birthday parade on 麻豆影视 Channel: 麻豆影视 Chief Anchor Lisa LaFlamme will bring you 鈥楾he Queen at 90鈥� live from London on Saturday at 6 a.m. ET
Darren McGrady served as personal chef for Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana and the Royal Family for 15 years. Over that time, he learned a thing or two about the Queen鈥檚 palate.
As an homage to the Queen鈥檚 90th birthday taking place this weekend, McGrady crafted a menu for London鈥檚 prestigious Savoy Hotel that gives royal-watchers a taste of what the Queen eats at teatime.
McGrady sat down with CTV鈥檚 Jill Macyshon to offer a peek inside the inner-workings of the royal kitchen.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e cooking for the Queen, even over all these years now, she鈥檚 not changed. The Queen, when she entertains, is eating the traditional French cuisine, the traditional British cuisine,鈥� McGrady said.
That means plenty of heavy cream, butter and rich sauces. But when the Queen dined by herself, she preferred lighter fare.
鈥淚t was the grilled chicken, it was the poached salmon, and then some vegetables and a salad -- no starch, no pasta, no potatoes, no rice,鈥� he said. 鈥�(That) discipline is part of why she鈥檚 looking so good today at 90.鈥�
Putting it simply, McGrady called Elizabeth 鈥渁 low-carb Queen.鈥�
'We didn鈥檛 use garlic'
When crafting the royal menu for the Savoy, McGrady was asked to recreate some of the Queen鈥檚 favourite dishes -- a task he found surprisingly challenging.
鈥淭he Queen never says, 鈥楾his is my favourite dish, I want this.鈥� So what you have to do is look at the dishes that have been on the menu for years 鈥� and the dishes she continually keeps taking, you know that they鈥檙e her favourites,鈥� he said.
鈥淭he Queen never really compliments, except for saying thank you.鈥�
The stand-out classics that made the Savoy鈥檚 menu include potted shrimp, a chilled and delicately spiced seafood dish on Melba toast; a rich caramel banana cake that Prince Harry and William loved; and a classic scone recipe served with clotted cream and strawberry preserve.
The Queen also appears to have a weakness for chocolate.
鈥淭he chocolate biscuit cake was her and William鈥檚 favourite,鈥� McGrady said, adding that it was the only dessert Her Majesty expected each day at tea.
But the job wasn鈥檛 always about fine cuisine. McGrady recalled one of his first tasks after moving from a top job at the Savoy to the bottom of the pecking order at Buckingham Palace.
鈥淢y first job at the palace was peeling carrots for the Queen鈥檚 horse,鈥� he said with a laugh.
The chefs also had to be aware of the royal hierarchy and what could be served around the Queen. For instance, while the Queen hated eating garlic, Prince Philip loved it.
鈥淏ut because queen is higher than a prince, whenever the two of them were together we didn鈥檛 use garlic,鈥� he said.
There鈥檚 also an element of history involved in the recipes, McGrady said, pointing to the Queen鈥檚 chocolate birthday cake.
鈥淭his recipe has been in the family dating back to Gabriel Tschumi, who was Queen Victoria鈥檚 chef, and the same recipe has been made for every member of the Royal family right until today,鈥� he said.
McGrady left the royal gig shortly after Princess Diana died in 1997. He now lives in the United States, where he teaches cooking classes and has various charitable projects, many of which Diana supported.
Looking back on his time in the royal kitchen, McGrady says he learned the key to cooking quality food.
鈥淪erving royalty, it made me realize that you need the best ingredients,鈥� he said.
鈥淐hefs create things, chefs are artists, but they鈥檙e not magicians. You can鈥檛 put a tough old steak in the oven and pulled it out and it鈥檚 beautiful aged fillet steak. So you have to start with the best ingredients.鈥�
Here are some of Chef Darren McGrady鈥檚 royal recipes being served at the Savoy Hotel in honour of the Queen鈥檚 90th birthday.
Potted Shrimp
- 8 oz peeled cooked shrimp (90/110 count)
- 8 oz butter
- ¼ tsp allspice
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 4 oz salted butter
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- 8 ramekins
Melt the 8oz butter and mix in the nutmeg, cayenne, allspice and shrimp. Spoon into the ramekins and refrigerate until set.
Melt the remaining butter and stir in the lemon juice. Spoon over the shrimp and refrigerate until set.
Serve with warm melba toast.
Chocolate Biscuit Cake
Her Majesty the Queen's favourite afternoon tea cake by far. This cake is probably the only one that is sent into the Royal dining room again and again until it has all gone.
- 4 ounces dark chocolate.(for the cake)
- 4 ounces granulated sugar.
- 4 ounces unsalted butter. (softened)
- 1 egg.
- 8 ounces Rich tea biscuits.
- ½ teaspoon butter for greasing.
- 8 ounces dark chocolate (for coating)
- 1 ounce chocolate (for decoration)
1. Lightly grease a 6 inch by 2 ½ inch cake ring and place on a tray on a sheet of parchment paper.
2. Break each of the biscuits into almond size pieces by hand and set aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl until the mixture starts to lighten.
4. Melt the 4 ounces of chocolate and add to the butter mixture whilst constantly stirring.
5. Beat in the egg to the mixture.
6. Fold in the biscuit pieces until they are all coated with the chocolate mixture.
7. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake ring. Try to fill all of the gaps on the bottom of the ring because this will be the top when it is un-molded.
8. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least three hours.
9. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and let it stand while you melt the 8 ounces of chocolate.
10. Slide the ring off the cake and turn it upside down onto a cake wire.
11. Pour the melted chocolate over the cake and smooth the top and sides using a palette knife.
12. Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature.
13. Carefully run a knife around the bottom of the cake where the chocolate has stuck it to the cake wire and lift it onto a tea plate.
14. Melt the remaining 1 ounce of chocolate and use to decorate the top of the cake.
Makes 1 6 inch round cake 鈥� 8 portions.
English Tea Scones
- 1 lb all-purpose flour
- 5 oz soft butter
- 4 oz extra fine granulated sugar
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1 egg
- 1/4 to 1/2 pint of milk
- 2 oz raisins (if making fruit scones)
- 1 egg yolk for glazing
1) Set the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder and sugar. Add and rub in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2) Make a well in the center and add the beaten egg and about 1/4 pint of milk. With a metal spoon bring the mixture together making sure you do not over mix it or you will tighten the dough.
3) If the mixture is a little dry add more of the milk but not more than the extra 1/4 pint. (You don鈥檛 want the mix too dry, or too set that it sticks to the rolling pin.)
4) Lightly dust the table with flour and roll out the dough to about 1 " thick. Then cut using a 2" round cookie cutter. Place on a baking sheet about 1" apart and brush the tops with the beaten egg yolk.
5) Bake for about 15- 20 minutes. When cooked, lift onto a wire rack to cool.
Serve hot from the oven with lots of butter or allow them to cool. Then split in half and sandwich with strawberry preserve and clotted cream or whipped heavy cream. Dust with confectioner鈥檚 sugar.
Makes about 16
Caramel Banana Cake
For the cake;
- 1 cup plus 1 Tbs butter
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups mashed bananas (about 5 medium)
- 3 cups self rising flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ cups sour cream
- 2 Tbs milk
- 2 tsp vanilla paste
For the frosting;
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter
- 2 cups light brown sugar
- ½ cup sour cream
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla paste
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a ½ sheet pan tray (12 x 18 x 1).
Prepare the sponge by creaming the butter and sugar using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and banana and beat together. Stir in the flour, soda, sour cream, milk and vanilla paste until there are no lumps and the batter is smooth.
Pour into the prepared tray, smooth out and bake in the center of the oven for about 40 minutes or until the sponge springs back when touched and is a golden brown.
Allow the sponge to cool completely before frosting.
Prepare the frosting by melting the butter and sugar in a pan. Stir without boiling for about 2 minutes. Add the sour cream, bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla paste. Leave the frosting to cool slightly and thicken before carefully frosting the sponge. Cut the cake into fingers and serve.
Makes 24 good size teacakes.
With a report from CTV's Manitoba Bureau Chief Jill Macyshon
