0:00:02 > 0:00:04The royal family are steeped in tradition,
0:00:04 > 0:00:05and throughout history the royal tables
0:00:05 > 0:00:10have showcased culinary excellence. In celebration of royal food...
0:00:10 > 0:00:11We know it is the Queen's recipe
0:00:11 > 0:00:13because we've got it in her own hand.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15..from the present and the past...
0:00:15 > 0:00:17That is proper regal.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20We recreate old family favourites.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24Now, the Queen Mother had this really wicked trick with these.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26What a mess!
0:00:26 > 0:00:28We sample royal eating alfresco.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31- Oh, wow!- That is what you want.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34And revisit the most extravagant times.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36Pheasant, stag, turkey, salmon,
0:00:36 > 0:00:39oysters and turbot dressed in a lobster champagne sauce.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Unbelievable!
0:00:41 > 0:00:43This is Royal Recipes.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51Hello. I'm Michael Buerk - and welcome to Royal Recipes.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55This is Audley End, one of Britain's finest stately homes.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59Built in the style of a royal palace and once owned by a king.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01In the splendour of the gardens,
0:01:01 > 0:01:05halls and kitchen of this grandest of country houses,
0:01:05 > 0:01:10we will be recreating the food served at the highest royal tables.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13And it all starts here with this gem -
0:01:13 > 0:01:16a royal kitchen maid's cookbook.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20The only surviving recipe book of its kind in the Royal Archive.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23This is an exact copy of the original,
0:01:23 > 0:01:25which is kept at Windsor Castle.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Inside, the recipes of Mildred Nicholls
0:01:27 > 0:01:32who worked at Buckingham Palace in the early 1900s -
0:01:32 > 0:01:35and, for the first time in over 100 years,
0:01:35 > 0:01:38we'll be bringing these recipes back to life.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48This time we cook food served to world leaders
0:01:48 > 0:01:49during royal state visits,
0:01:49 > 0:01:52and learn the art of diplomatic relations.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55The state banquet is an essential part of the sovereign's role.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59Today in the Royal Recipes kitchen,
0:01:59 > 0:02:01chef Paul Ainsworth prepares a dish
0:02:01 > 0:02:06inspired by the dinner the Queen laid on for President Obama...
0:02:06 > 0:02:08That is... It's unbelievable!
0:02:08 > 0:02:11Well, you can see why President Obama
0:02:11 > 0:02:14enjoyed his visit to England.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17A former royal butler introduces historian Matt Green
0:02:17 > 0:02:19to banquet etiquette and protocol...
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Remember, we don't put elbows on the table.
0:02:22 > 0:02:23- No.- We don't put wrists on the table.
0:02:23 > 0:02:24We don't lie on the table.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26The only time your hands are on the table
0:02:26 > 0:02:28is actually when you're actually using...
0:02:28 > 0:02:30obviously picking up the cutlery and you're eating.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32I can't wait to do it for real.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38In the grandeur of the historic kitchen wing of this stately home,
0:02:38 > 0:02:44we start in 2011, when the Queen welcomed Barack and Michelle Obama.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Welcome to the marvellous old kitchens,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49and indeed the marvellous young Michelin-starred chef
0:02:49 > 0:02:50Paul Ainsworth.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52It's the big one today. I mean, no pressure.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54- Actually, a lot of pressure. - There is a lot of pressure.
0:02:54 > 0:02:55It's the royal state banquet.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58- What are you going to do?- Michael, we're going to do a wonderful dish
0:02:58 > 0:03:00of paupiettes of lemon sole
0:03:00 > 0:03:03with a wonderful watercress mousseline and Nantua sauce.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Oh, it sounds marvellous - and is actually the dish...
0:03:06 > 0:03:08See? This is the menu card
0:03:08 > 0:03:10for the state visit of President Obama in 2011.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12- Wow.- First course.
0:03:12 > 0:03:13First course! Right.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15Right, let's get on with what President Obama got.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18- We've got a lot to do. I might need a bit of help from you today.- OK.
0:03:18 > 0:03:19Right, so the first thing I'm going to make
0:03:19 > 0:03:21is the watercress mousseline,
0:03:21 > 0:03:23- and that's what we're going to stuff the sole with.- Mm.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26- So here we have our chicken breast, which goes on like so...- Yeah.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30..and then we're just going to put in a little pinch of salt with it.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32And we're going to blitz that first.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34- OK, like so.- Yeah.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36Just to break down the protein.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40OK. Next, we're going to add in one egg white.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44OK, and again another blitz.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46So we don't load all the ingredients in there.
0:03:46 > 0:03:47It's stage by stage.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51So when you say paupiette, what does that actually mean?
0:03:51 > 0:03:52- Rolled and stuffed.- Ah.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54- With this?- Absolutely.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56- And then we're going to add a splash of cream.- Yeah.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58- OK. Like so.- A splash of cream!
0:03:58 > 0:03:59- Just a splash.- Do you ever do a dish
0:03:59 > 0:04:02- that hasn't got a splash of cream in it?- Oh, stop it -
0:04:02 > 0:04:04this is royal dishes, they are very fond of their French cooking,
0:04:04 > 0:04:07- which is obviously very heavy with butter and cream.- Yeah.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10So we've just added in there some watercress.
0:04:10 > 0:04:11So you've got this lovely chicken mousseline.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13The cream lightens it, believe it or not,
0:04:13 > 0:04:15and then we've got this lovely pepperiness happening.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17Right, so what we're going to do
0:04:17 > 0:04:19is we're going to take our lemon sole fillets
0:04:19 > 0:04:22and we're just going to take some of this -
0:04:22 > 0:04:24- and it really is worth doing. It may look fiddly...- Mm.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27..but just spread them
0:04:27 > 0:04:31right the way down the length of the fillet.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Actually, taking trouble is the whole thing about state banquets,
0:04:34 > 0:04:36isn't it? You know they start laying the table up
0:04:36 > 0:04:39- five days before the event itself? - Really?!- Yeah.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41You know, polishing the porcelain,
0:04:41 > 0:04:43getting the silver out and all that kind of stuff.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46Now, just really simple, it's not too difficult.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49Just take your fillet and just roll it up like so.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Just like that. And then with a cocktail stick...
0:04:53 > 0:04:55..through the tail end, just watch your fingers,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58and then just go out the other side like that.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01- Like so. Would you like a go, Michael?- Yep, I'll do that.- OK.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05- All right. - This might take some time.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07All right, OK.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09So what I'm moving on next to, Michael, is the sauce -
0:05:09 > 0:05:11and the sauce is beautiful.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14It's a Nantua sauce, which is basically a crayfish sauce.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17- What's going on in there? - This is our steamer.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21Right, we're just going to gently place those in the steamer.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23- Mm-hm.- Like so. OK.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Important, Michael - some seasoning.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30Just some sea salt, just round on our flesh, like so.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32Lid on.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34And because that's so delicate,
0:05:34 > 0:05:38now let's just let the residual heat just steam those gently away.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41- On to our sauce.- OK.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44So we've just roasted off some crayfish shells.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47- The way you do.- Yeah. With some carrot, onion, leek, celery,
0:05:47 > 0:05:50a little bit of paprika, a little bit of tomato puree,
0:05:50 > 0:05:52some brandy and then some fish stock.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Wow! And how long have you done that for?
0:05:55 > 0:05:57And we've just simmered that for a couple of hours,
0:05:57 > 0:05:59just to kind of get a really nice, deep flavour.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01- All the taste out of it. - Yeah. Absolutely.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04- Now, it's important... - Actually, you can smell it.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06- It's beautiful, isn't it?- Yeah, yeah.- Push all of that through.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10- OK.- And now we return that back to the heat.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12- That looks brilliant.- OK.
0:06:12 > 0:06:13I'm going to get some asparagus on,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16cos we're just going to finish this with some beautiful asparagus.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Turn up our heat. We want to bring our sauce to the boil.
0:06:19 > 0:06:20Right, the first thing we're going to do
0:06:20 > 0:06:22is we're going to add just a little bit of cognac.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Now, we don't want to add a lot...
0:06:24 > 0:06:26- Why not?- ..because we're going to reduce it out.
0:06:26 > 0:06:27Because it's so strong,
0:06:27 > 0:06:29- we don't want to kill the flavour of the sauce.- Mm-hm.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31- Little bit of cream.- Oh, inevitably.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35Right, I'm going to add, now, some butter.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37And what the butter is going to do
0:06:37 > 0:06:39is it is going to emulsify with the sauce, slightly thicken it
0:06:39 > 0:06:41and give it that wonderful richness.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45OK. If I could get you to just carry on whisking that sauce,
0:06:45 > 0:06:47- just like that for me, please, Michael...- Yeah, will do.
0:06:47 > 0:06:48..and we're going to start to plate up.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50- Yes.- We've got some asparagus
0:06:50 > 0:06:53that we've just kind of warmed in some beautiful butter.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55All British ingredients.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59- All British ingredients.- British asparagus, British lemon sole.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03So, we've just got these lovely wonderful asparagus spears.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05- A beautiful colour, aren't they? - Stunning.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07I think I've done this rather brilliantly.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09- You see how it has thickened and gone nice and velvety?- Yeah.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12- It's my touch.- It's beautiful. - It's my touch.- It is your touch.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15- Right, OK, the bit that I'm really dying to show you...- Mm.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18..is these beautiful paupiettes of lemon sole.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20- They've been off the heat? - They've been off the heat.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22- OK - and look.- And they've cooked.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24- I'll bring them over to you.- Yeah.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29And now just remove our cocktail sticks.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Look at that.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33- Just look how succulent and juicy they are.- Yeah.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35Without any heat at all.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Just the residual heat.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40We're going to finish them with a little bit more sea salt.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42- Yeah.- OK? Now our sauce.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45- We're going to add in the crayfish tails.- Yeah.
0:07:45 > 0:07:46Like so. Stir in.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48God, I can't wait to get into this.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50This is something else.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52OK? And now just those crayfish.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56- Oh...- Over the top like that.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59Some on the side.
0:07:59 > 0:08:04There we have it. That, for me, is proper banquet food.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06- (Come on, come on.) - You're dying to taste it!
0:08:06 > 0:08:09- I am, actually, yeah.- Go for it. I'm just as excited as you.
0:08:09 > 0:08:10I'm going to have that one.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17- Mm. That is really good, isn't it? - That is.
0:08:17 > 0:08:18It's unbelievable!
0:08:18 > 0:08:22Well, you can see why President Obama
0:08:22 > 0:08:24enjoyed his visit to England.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31A light dish that really delivers on flavour.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34Banquets are not just about the food,
0:08:34 > 0:08:36they're about the whole spectacle.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39The royal butlers play a crucial role in creating that.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47Where better to learn about preparing for grand royal banquets
0:08:47 > 0:08:49than at this monumental country house,
0:08:49 > 0:08:53given to a duke by a queen in the 18th century?
0:08:53 > 0:08:56It may not be a royal home, but it's a palace -
0:08:56 > 0:09:01and historian Matt Green is here to learn all about royal etiquette.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04I've come to Blenheim Palace to meet someone called Grant Harrold
0:09:04 > 0:09:06who runs the Royal Butler School
0:09:06 > 0:09:09to get a crash course on how to put on a royal banquet...
0:09:11 > 0:09:13..but, on second thoughts,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16I think I should be entering via the servants' quarters.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18For seven years, Grant Harrold worked as a butler
0:09:18 > 0:09:20to Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall,
0:09:20 > 0:09:23the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry.
0:09:23 > 0:09:24- Hi, Grant.- Hello, Matt. - How do you do?
0:09:24 > 0:09:26- How do you do?- Good, thanks.
0:09:26 > 0:09:27This way.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33Blenheim Palace was built for the Duke of Marlborough.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37150 years later his descendant, Winston Churchill, was born here.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40Over the generations, there have been many royal guests.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44Wow! This is the entrance hall of Blenheim Palace?
0:09:44 > 0:09:47- Yes.- It's like something out of a fairy tale.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50State banquets, per se, don't happen here -
0:09:50 > 0:09:51but it's not dissimilar,
0:09:51 > 0:09:55and it gives us a sense of the much grander state banquets.
0:09:55 > 0:09:56And is it true that they are laid out
0:09:56 > 0:09:59with almost a degree of military precision?
0:09:59 > 0:10:00They are. I mean, obviously,
0:10:00 > 0:10:04royal standards are what everyone wants to kind of aspire to
0:10:04 > 0:10:05in these kind of homes,
0:10:05 > 0:10:07and the aristocrats are known for copying
0:10:07 > 0:10:09the way that royals do things.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Presumably, in order to achieve the meticulousness of this layout,
0:10:12 > 0:10:16to have that effect that's really quite mind-blowing,
0:10:16 > 0:10:17you have to measure everything?
0:10:17 > 0:10:19In Buckingham Palace they have what's...
0:10:19 > 0:10:21They've got, obviously, a measuring stick
0:10:21 > 0:10:24that's actually got the markings on it as to where things should be.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27So, there's a distance, obviously, which they will measure
0:10:27 > 0:10:29- from the edge of the table to the back of the chair.- OK.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32- They will measure the space settings between each place...- Yeah.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34..to make sure that it's at the right distance.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37They measure the glass, they measure the cutlery.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40So it's right, that's how precise it has to be.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43As butler at Highgrove, Prince Charles's private residence,
0:10:43 > 0:10:47Grant would oversee this kind of table preparation.
0:10:47 > 0:10:48Before work can start,
0:10:48 > 0:10:51each member of staff must don a pair of white gloves.
0:10:51 > 0:10:52The white gloves, obviously,
0:10:52 > 0:10:54it's so we protect the silver and glassware
0:10:54 > 0:10:55and we don't get any marks,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58because it's already probably been polished and cleaned.
0:10:58 > 0:10:59- Yeah.- We can always double-check it,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02but normally it is already done by the time it comes to the room
0:11:02 > 0:11:04and then all we're having to do is actually put things down.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06You want to make sure it is symmetrical
0:11:06 > 0:11:10and you're not off to the side or anything.
0:11:10 > 0:11:11If there's any crests or anything,
0:11:11 > 0:11:13always make sure that they are pointing to the top.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15- Pointing north.- Yes.- OK.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17Another trick to laying a table is the rule of thumb -
0:11:17 > 0:11:20the gap between crockery and cutlery must be an inch,
0:11:20 > 0:11:23about the length from a thumb knuckle to tip.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27The soup spoon is going to go on the right.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30- On the right.- And again, with maybe a millimetre or two between.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32And then the pudding cutlery...
0:11:33 > 0:11:35..on top. That's good.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37- OK.- Maybe just a fraction down.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39Right.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43Then we're going to get the side plate, and the small knife.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45So they are going to go to the left.
0:11:45 > 0:11:46To the left.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49And then the knife is just going to go on the edge.
0:11:49 > 0:11:50Just perched on the edge.
0:11:50 > 0:11:51The blade pointing away.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53OK, so it's looking pretty complete now.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55Then we'll go and get the glassware.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57This is going to be for the red wine,
0:11:57 > 0:11:58and this is going to be for the white.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01So you want to put it just to the right
0:12:01 > 0:12:04- of the blade of the, obviously, of the main course knife.- Yeah.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07The red wine, just up to the left, like that.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Maybe push it just a little bit closer,
0:12:10 > 0:12:12just, again, a millimetre, maybe, away.
0:12:12 > 0:12:13Pop the red there.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17So, the champagne goes to the right of the white wine,
0:12:17 > 0:12:19directly opposite the red.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21And then, lastly, you've got the port glass,
0:12:21 > 0:12:23and that just goes directly behind -
0:12:23 > 0:12:25and then you've created the diamond formation.
0:12:27 > 0:12:28We just need a napkin.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32- In the centre.- In the centre.
0:12:32 > 0:12:33- Like that.- Beautifully done.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35And there we are, voila.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39It's really pleasing to see it come together like that.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45Protocol and etiquette governs everything at the banquet.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47Remember that we don't put elbows on the table,
0:12:47 > 0:12:50we don't put wrists on the table, we don't lie on the table.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53The only time your hands are on the table is when you're actually using,
0:12:53 > 0:12:55obviously, when you're picking up the cutlery and you are eating.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57I can't wait to do it for real.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59- I know. So all you have to do now is write to the Queen...- Yeah.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02- ..and ask for your invitation. - I'll get that.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04- Good luck.- Yeah. Thank you!
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Being a royal butler is not really a job, it's more a vocation.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15More a kind of state of mind.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19Anyway, from grand diplomatic banquets
0:13:19 > 0:13:22to something a great deal simpler.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24- Absolutely.- Bubbling away. - Bubbling away.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27- It's my butter making noise. - It would be.
0:13:27 > 0:13:32Yes, we are going to do the Queen's recipe for drop scones.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34- The Queen's recipe? - The Queen's recipe for drop scones.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37- Ever had a drop scone? - I have had drop scone.- Yeah?
0:13:37 > 0:13:40The important thing about this one is,
0:13:40 > 0:13:43not only is at the Queen's recipe for drop scones,
0:13:43 > 0:13:44but they played their part
0:13:44 > 0:13:47in the special relationship with America, as well.
0:13:47 > 0:13:48They did, they did -
0:13:48 > 0:13:51and we're going to do the original recipe,
0:13:51 > 0:13:55which was caster sugar, with some sieved flour.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Some bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar.
0:13:58 > 0:13:59What do they do, then?
0:13:59 > 0:14:01- Well, the bicarb, first of all... - That gives us the lift?
0:14:01 > 0:14:03..gives us the rise. It gives us a lift.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05The cream of tartar lends a nice bit of acidity to the recipe.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08- Bite, yeah.- A bit of bite. So while we're doing that,
0:14:08 > 0:14:11we're going to add a little bit of butter to the pan here, Michael.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14So, we're going to take two eggs with our milk.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18- I'm seeing the Queen doing this now, you understand?- Are you?- Yes.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21Because the great thing about this is we know it is the Queen's recipe,
0:14:21 > 0:14:23because we've got in her own hand.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26- A hand written letter to President Eisenhower...- Right.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28..who was then president of the United States.
0:14:28 > 0:14:29January the 24th, 1960 -
0:14:29 > 0:14:32and he'd actually visited the Queen at Balmoral
0:14:32 > 0:14:34and she had cooked him these drop scones.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36Or at least we think she cooked them.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39This is the letter in which she sends him the recipe.
0:14:39 > 0:14:40The recipe that you are doing now.
0:14:40 > 0:14:45- What are you doing there?- So, we're just gently now bringing together
0:14:45 > 0:14:47the eggs and the milk.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50We're going to have basically a pancake batter.
0:14:50 > 0:14:51And once we've whisked it smooth,
0:14:51 > 0:14:53we're going to add a little bit of butter.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56So you see now how the mix is coming together nicely?
0:14:56 > 0:14:59I'm just going to add a couple of spoonfuls of butter.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01There, like that.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04And already that lovely smell of the butter, it is delicious.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08I absolutely love drop scones, or blinis -
0:15:08 > 0:15:10that's what they're like.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13OK, so we've got a nice, lovely smooth...
0:15:13 > 0:15:15And that there, that's the drop.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18As opposed to a kind of like... Do you know what I mean?
0:15:18 > 0:15:19- Yeah.- Like a scone.- Yeah.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24- Now we're ready to go... - It's lovely and gooey, isn't it?
0:15:24 > 0:15:28..into the pan. Yeah. We're going to add a little more butter...
0:15:28 > 0:15:30..into the pan there, and simply, just...
0:15:31 > 0:15:33..just like that.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36We're going to put... I think we'll get four or five in there.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39In her letter to him, she says,
0:15:39 > 0:15:43"I have also tried using golden syrup or treacle
0:15:43 > 0:15:45"instead of only sugar."
0:15:45 > 0:15:46- What do you think?- I think it could.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50So, we're just going to have a little check underneath.
0:15:50 > 0:15:51Oh, look at these.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53These are special.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55Turn them round - just quickly turn them over, like that.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Look at that. They look delicious, don't they?
0:15:58 > 0:16:00- They certainly do. - Just gently over, like that.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02Just nice and steady.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05You come to the last one and you see just on the top, Michael...
0:16:05 > 0:16:07- Yeah.- ..you've got that lovely caramelised butter.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10- Just on the top.- I wonder what President Eisenhower made of it all.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12He replies and says,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15"What's caster sugar?"
0:16:15 > 0:16:16Now, is that because he wasn't a cook?
0:16:16 > 0:16:20Well, I think in America they call it superfine.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23- Oh, right, right. - Yeah, it's the same sugar.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25- So, he did reply.- He did reply.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27He's running America, but he did reply,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30- he wrote a letter about the scones. - He obviously made them.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33- Or his chef replied.- Yeah!
0:16:33 > 0:16:35Right, a little tip right here, you just want that...
0:16:35 > 0:16:37- So, when you put your finger in... - Yeah.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40When you put your finger in there, they just come back up and that's...
0:16:40 > 0:16:41- They are lovely cooked.- Yeah.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44Now we're just going to bring them out.
0:16:44 > 0:16:45On top of these...
0:16:45 > 0:16:48And they are absolutely fantastic.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50And you know what? Serve these, you could do sweet or savoury.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53If I was doing savoury, a little bit of smoked salmon
0:16:53 > 0:16:56and some creme fraiche. Really extravagant.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58They've risen. Just have a smell of them.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00- Oh, yeah. - That lovely caramelised butter,
0:17:00 > 0:17:04- that scone smell.- It really leaps at you, doesn't it?- Yeah. And then...
0:17:04 > 0:17:07We're just going to add butter, no clotted cream, no jam.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09No, we are keeping it nice and simple.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11I'll have that. To think they played a part...
0:17:11 > 0:17:13I just think - I like the history of it.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16To think they played a part in the special relationship
0:17:16 > 0:17:19- between Britain and United States! - It's fantastic.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21Scones cement the relationship.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23- They smell delicious.- Yeah.- Ready?
0:17:24 > 0:17:27- They are good, aren't they? - They are.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29- Oh!- Done a good job there, Paul. - Thank you.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34A case of drop scone diplomacy.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36Perfect for the more informal occasion.
0:17:37 > 0:17:42Preparing a souffle can be a risky business for a state banquet -
0:17:42 > 0:17:46but one royal chef knows a fail-safe way to create the perfect
0:17:46 > 0:17:49high-rise pudding for a high-end dinner.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54In the 1980s and early 1990s,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57chef Darren McGrady would regularly cook
0:17:57 > 0:17:59on board the Royal Yacht Britannia,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02preparing grand banquets for the Queen and world leaders.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06Demanding conditions called for low-risk puds.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08A lot of the times, the dishes that we would serve
0:18:08 > 0:18:11would be dishes that were served day-to-day
0:18:11 > 0:18:12to the Queen and her family.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15One of the Queen's favourites was the cold lemon souffle.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17Start off with some lemons.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19The zest is going to give it a real zing.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21Just going to give it a nice colour, as well.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25Once I've got my lemon zest, I want some juice in there, too.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29The cold lemon souffle is not really a souffle.
0:18:29 > 0:18:30It doesn't go in the oven.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33It actually goes in the refrigerator.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35Darren's next step is to separate the eggs
0:18:35 > 0:18:38and add the yolks to the lemon juice.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41And then some sugar in there, as well.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45I'm going to put that into boiling water, what we call a bain-marie,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48and whisk all of those ingredients together.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51That's going to sit on there and while my eggs are getting hot,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54I need to whisk the egg whites to make them nice and stiff.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59So once my egg yolks are hot to the touch,
0:18:59 > 0:19:02then I can take them off and put them on the machine...
0:19:04 > 0:19:06..and we whisk it until it goes cold.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08So all we are doing is creating a sabayon,
0:19:08 > 0:19:10and so that gives our volume
0:19:10 > 0:19:14that we then fold some whipped cream and some whipped egg whites into,
0:19:14 > 0:19:18and that gives us our mousse, our souffle, that great bulk.
0:19:18 > 0:19:23Once it's been on the machine, look how it changes in consistency.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26Now we can add our whipped cream...
0:19:27 > 0:19:33..and then lightly whisk that into the egg mixture.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36Then I have my gelatine that has warmed,
0:19:36 > 0:19:41and I am going to fold that into my mix, as well.
0:19:41 > 0:19:42And finally,
0:19:42 > 0:19:44my egg whites.
0:19:48 > 0:19:53So everything in there is now folded in, and it's nice and smooth.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00Darren's wrapped grease-proof paper around a souffle dish,
0:20:00 > 0:20:02stapling it top and bottom.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05It will allow the mousse to set above the top of the dish
0:20:05 > 0:20:07like a risen souffle.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10So, now I'm pouring the souffle mix into the mould.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14What you really need to see is just a little bit over the mould, there,
0:20:14 > 0:20:17so it looks like that souffle is climbing out of the dish.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20So this goes into the refrigerator now, overnight, to set.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36It has set nicely.
0:20:36 > 0:20:41All we have to do now is take off the paper from around the edge.
0:20:41 > 0:20:42There we go, lovely!
0:20:42 > 0:20:45Now we can just put some cream on the top, just to finish it off.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48Preparing this for President Reagan and trying to make sure
0:20:48 > 0:20:49every piece was exact.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55All it needs is some chocolate on the top,
0:20:55 > 0:20:58so I'm going to use a really fine grater to grate some chocolate
0:20:58 > 0:21:00to go around the top.
0:21:05 > 0:21:06And that just looks fantastic.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10A simple cold lemon souffle in a souffle case.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12You're going to have all of your friends asking,
0:21:12 > 0:21:14"How did you manage to get that to rise
0:21:14 > 0:21:16"if you didn't even put it in the oven?!£
0:21:20 > 0:21:24For our final recipe we're going to go back in time to the late 19th,
0:21:24 > 0:21:29early 20th century, and that Prince of Gourmands, King Edward VII.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33One of his favourite, all-time favourite puddings, desserts,
0:21:33 > 0:21:39- Chartreuse a la Royale has a ring to it, doesn't it?- It really does.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42So I'm going to start off by taking a mango.
0:21:42 > 0:21:43We've got mangoes and melons.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45I'm just going to show you the slicing of a mango.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48So we're just going to top and tail it.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54And then basically, Michael, just very thinly all the way around.
0:21:54 > 0:21:55Like so.
0:21:55 > 0:22:00And the idea is to get as much of that beautiful fleshy fragrant fruit
0:22:00 > 0:22:02off the stone. And that is it.
0:22:02 > 0:22:07And now you've just got that lovely fragrant fleshy mango.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09- Gosh, you can smell it. - You can, can't you?
0:22:09 > 0:22:11And it's absolutely delicious.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14So the next bit is just now turn them out like that
0:22:14 > 0:22:17and getting as many as you can
0:22:17 > 0:22:22and don't waste that. Turn it into a puree, fruit salad, anything.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24- Or even eat it.- Or even eat it.
0:22:24 > 0:22:25So now they go into our lime jelly.
0:22:26 > 0:22:31And what we're going to do now is painstakingly go all the way around.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36- It's very labour-intensive, this one.- It is very labour-intensive.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38You can see I'm going right round like that.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40- And they stick OK? - They stick because the jelly,
0:22:40 > 0:22:44it's important that the jelly is just starting to cool down.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47And as the jelly starts to cool down it's getting nice and thick.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49I'm just going to give it a last disc of mango on there
0:22:49 > 0:22:51- like so, Michael.- It looks terrific.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54- It does, doesn't it?- It does.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58Now, we're going to spoon in the remaining jelly.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02Like so.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06And then the idea is, you can see now it's just starting to set.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08Just spin round.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11Do you see how as you spin round,
0:23:11 > 0:23:13it's just basically kind of sticking to all of the fruit
0:23:13 > 0:23:16and going all the way around the mould?
0:23:16 > 0:23:18Now just transfer that to the fridge, please.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20We're just going to let that set.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22Ideally for about two or three hours.
0:23:22 > 0:23:23- OK.- OK?
0:23:27 > 0:23:29OK, that's done. What's next?
0:23:29 > 0:23:31Fantastic.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34Next, the filling. Very rich, very royal.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37So here we've got some milk on the stove,
0:23:37 > 0:23:38that we're bringing to a simmer.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41We've got some lovely rich egg yolks and sugar
0:23:41 > 0:23:43that we're just going to mix together.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45And we mix them so they're nice and pale.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48Just in there like so.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51- Six eggs?- Six egg yolks. Sugar in.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53And the reason we mix it now together like this
0:23:53 > 0:23:57to make it nice is to make the custard lovely and rich.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02Because what you're doing, you're basically dissolving the sugar
0:24:02 > 0:24:05into the egg yolks. Can you see it changing colour?
0:24:05 > 0:24:07- From what it was?- Yeah.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10OK. Now we're just going to take our hot milk
0:24:10 > 0:24:14- and just pour that onto this egg yolk.- And just to be clear,
0:24:14 > 0:24:16this is the kind of custard that goes into the mould
0:24:16 > 0:24:20- that you've already made? - Absolutely, yeah.
0:24:20 > 0:24:21Now we go back into the pan.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26Like so. OK.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29And we basically just
0:24:29 > 0:24:30stir that over the heat.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34Now that's going to get thick and nice and rich,
0:24:34 > 0:24:37but we need to set it so it holds in the middle of our chartreuse.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39So what we've got here, Michael, is gelatine.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42OK? We just get rid of the water.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44And straight into our custard mix.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47- And that just melts. - And that just melts in,
0:24:47 > 0:24:50and will basically give you like a nice setting property
0:24:50 > 0:24:53in the custard. And once that cools down,
0:24:53 > 0:24:57it will thicken and be beautiful and rich and smooth, just like that.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Oh, lovely.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01Now we've got some lovely whipped cream here
0:25:01 > 0:25:03and we're just going to, what we call folding.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05As if it wasn't rich enough.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09As if it wasn't rich enough! So we'll put about half of that in
0:25:09 > 0:25:13and gently fold it. We don't want to just beat it in there
0:25:13 > 0:25:15because we do want it to be nice
0:25:15 > 0:25:16and light and airy. OK.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18Just nice and gently.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22This is a kind of dish for a really sumptuous banquet, isn't it?
0:25:22 > 0:25:27So, just keep mixing until it's completely folded in like so.
0:25:27 > 0:25:34And you'll go to this kind of very light kind of creamy mixture.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37Now, Mike, if I could ask you to go back and get me
0:25:37 > 0:25:39the one that we set earlier,
0:25:39 > 0:25:41we are going to put this wonderful filling in the middle.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43- OK.- Thank you.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45Back in a minute, chef.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52Here we go, Paul. Nice and cold.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54- Yes, lovely. - And pretty set, I'd say.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56You see, it's got that lovely film going around the edge.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Now, look, that's our custard and cream mixture.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01Can you see what I mean by the folding technique,
0:26:01 > 0:26:03how lovely and light it is.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07So we're just going to pour that in like so.
0:26:07 > 0:26:08Oh, a waterfall of sin.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13Yeah! I like that, a waterfall of sin.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15- Brilliant!- There we go.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18Oh, yes, don't leave on any on the side of the bowl.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21Like so.
0:26:21 > 0:26:22- Perfect, isn't it?- Absolutely.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26OK. Now, again, just right to the edges.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29- Yeah.- We don't want to see any of that fruit.
0:26:30 > 0:26:31OK.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34- Another little important... - Just with your thumb,
0:26:34 > 0:26:38just right the way around any of that mix,
0:26:38 > 0:26:39because when we turn it out,
0:26:39 > 0:26:42it's all those little things that can catch when you're trying
0:26:42 > 0:26:44to turn it out. And, again, just a little tap so there's no air.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48- Settle it down.- Just settle it down. There's no air bubbles in there.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51If I could ask you to pop that in the fridge for two to three hours,
0:26:51 > 0:26:55setting time, and out there should be the finished one.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57- Should be.- Right, chef.
0:26:57 > 0:26:58Thank you.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02There should be trumpets.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05There should be a fanfare.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07- I'll put it there.- I am so excited.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09This...
0:27:09 > 0:27:12You don't see stuff like this any more and it's a shame
0:27:12 > 0:27:14because it's absolutely gorgeous. Ready?
0:27:14 > 0:27:15Yeah.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19Oh, look at that!
0:27:19 > 0:27:21- It looks too perfect to cut. - It does.
0:27:21 > 0:27:22Oh, no, it doesn't! Come on.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25Don't make too much of a meal of it.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30So we just want to cut through that fruit as well.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32Here we go. Look at this, ready?
0:27:32 > 0:27:34Yeah.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37Straight out like that. Oh, yes!
0:27:37 > 0:27:39Look at that!
0:27:45 > 0:27:48Go for it, let's try it.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51This lovely cream mixture with some of that fruit.
0:27:51 > 0:27:52Yeah.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59It's surprising. It is very light, isn't it?
0:27:59 > 0:28:00It's incredibly exotic, isn't it?
0:28:00 > 0:28:02Yeah, absolutely delicious.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09We're going to have to wrap it up. That's all from Royal Banquets.
0:28:09 > 0:28:10See you next time.