0:00:02 > 0:00:03The royal family are steeped in tradition,
0:00:03 > 0:00:07and throughout history, the royal tables have showcased culinary excellence.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09In celebration of royal food...
0:00:09 > 0:00:11We know it's 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 > 0:00:20..we recreate old family favourites...
0:00:20 > 0:00:24The Queen Mother had this really wicked trick with these.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26What a mess.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28..we sample royal eating alfresco...
0:00:28 > 0:00:31- Oh, wow!- That is what you want.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34..and revisit the most extravagant times.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37"Pheasant, stag, turkey, salmon, oysters
0:00:37 > 0:00:39"and turbot dressed in a lobster champagne sauce."
0:00:39 > 0:00:40Unbelievable.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43This is Royal Recipes.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50Hello. I'm Michael Buerk and welcome to Royal Recipes.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54This is Audley End, one of Britain's finest stately homes,
0:00:54 > 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 > 0:01:04halls and kitchen of this grandest of country houses,
0:01:04 > 0:01:10we'll be recreating the food served at the highest royal tables,
0:01:10 > 0:01:15and it all starts here with this gem, a royal kitchen maid's cookbook,
0:01:15 > 0:01:20the only surviving recipe book of its kind in the royal archive.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22This is an exact copy of the original,
0:01:22 > 0:01:24which is kept at Windsor Castle.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28Inside, the recipes of Mildred Nicholls,
0:01:28 > 0:01:31who worked at Buckingham Palace in the early 1900s.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34For the first time in over 100 years,
0:01:34 > 0:01:37we'll be bringing these recipes back to life.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47This time, we are cooking food fit for only the very best of parties -
0:01:47 > 0:01:50royal birthdays.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53For generations, they've celebrated in style.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56Today on Royal Recipes,
0:01:56 > 0:02:01former royal chef Carolyn Robb on cooking for Prince Charles's 50th.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03That was a party arranged for him by William and Harry.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06They took charge of everything, including the menu.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10Historian Dr Annie Gray reveals how the Edwardian elite
0:02:10 > 0:02:12celebrated a king's birthday.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15You hold it at the most fashionable hotel in town,
0:02:15 > 0:02:20and you serve the birthday cake on the back of a small elephant.
0:02:20 > 0:02:25And chef Anna Haugh makes a birthday pudding fit for Queen Victoria's grandson.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29- Candles?- No! No, candles would ruin it.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32Anyway, there's a lot of rum in there, it might flambe up.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38Here in the grand stately home,
0:02:38 > 0:02:42we begin with a dish fit for royal dining -
0:02:42 > 0:02:45one to impress the finest of royal palates.
0:02:45 > 0:02:50We're here in the grand kitchen with top London chef Anna Haugh.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54Today we are going to talk about birthdays, royal birthday food.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56The dish you are doing is from
0:02:56 > 0:02:59the present Queen's 80th birthday lunch party,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02which was held at Kew Palace. What are you cooking?
0:03:02 > 0:03:05Today I'm going to do a venison haunch with a juniper sauce.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08The first thing I'm going to do is prepare the venison,
0:03:08 > 0:03:10to get it into the pan.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12Make sure that the plan is lovely and hot
0:03:12 > 0:03:14because it is the caramelisation of your meat
0:03:14 > 0:03:16that's going to give you lovely flavour.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19- And you season it? - Yeah, salt and pepper.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22Once my pan is lovely and hot -
0:03:22 > 0:03:25you can see there's a good bit of smoke coming off that -
0:03:25 > 0:03:27add a little bit more oil
0:03:27 > 0:03:30and then in goes my steak.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32Oh, sizzles as soon as it hits it!
0:03:32 > 0:03:34Followed by the thyme.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38A bit of crushed garlic.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44That was an explosion of wonderful garlic smell.
0:03:44 > 0:03:49So it needs to be on a nice high heat, especially in the beginning,
0:03:49 > 0:03:51to get that good colour,
0:03:51 > 0:03:53needs to be a nice golden brown on each side,
0:03:53 > 0:03:56and once that happens, I will add my butter in
0:03:56 > 0:03:58and we can get going on our sauce.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02The venison at this luncheon party was actually from the royal estate at Sandringham.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05Do you think that would be farmed or wild
0:04:05 > 0:04:07and is there any difference at all?
0:04:07 > 0:04:08I'd like to think it was wild.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11In your restaurant, you'd only cook wild venison?
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Only wild, and only when it is in season.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17- You've seared both sides? - I've seared both sides.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20Once I've got a bit of colour on the other side,
0:04:20 > 0:04:21- I'm going to add some butter. - Now, why?
0:04:21 > 0:04:26The butter is going to allow me to have more substance to nappe,
0:04:26 > 0:04:30and nappe means I'm going to spoon it on top of the steak.
0:04:30 > 0:04:35And this is a more delicious way of caramelising a steak
0:04:35 > 0:04:37instead of popping it in the oven.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41You could pop it in the oven for probably about maybe 5-8 minutes,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44and it would cook it medium rare, but I'm going to finish it off.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48So nappe is a poncey chef's word for baste, is it?
0:04:48 > 0:04:52Nappe is a very useful word that communicates very well to my team
0:04:52 > 0:04:54- how I want something cooked. - All right.
0:04:54 > 0:04:59- But it is the same as basting, isn't it?- Exactly, yes.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01So while that's kind of cooking away,
0:05:01 > 0:05:03I'm going to get going on the juniper sauce.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Juniper, which goes so well with venison.
0:05:06 > 0:05:07- Nice and sharp, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Here I've already sweated down some shallots,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13bit of garlic, some thyme and juniper berries.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17And what I'm going to add to this now is some Madeira.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19So I'm just going to add a little splash of that.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Don't hold back.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24- Save some for later.- OK.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27It's interesting, isn't it, how things have changed?
0:05:27 > 0:05:30I've got the menu here from the Queen's 80th birthday lunch.
0:05:30 > 0:05:35I think Prince Charles organised it for her. But just three courses.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37And three relatively simple courses.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Whereas her great-grandfather, Edward VII,
0:05:40 > 0:05:42would have had 14 courses for lunch!
0:05:42 > 0:05:45Perhaps that's why the Queen's lived as long as she has...
0:05:45 > 0:05:46Well, I think you're right.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49..and Edward VII didn't live to a ripe old age, did he?
0:05:49 > 0:05:50Ripe, but not old.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53So I'm just going to add the stock now to our sauce.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56- What stock is that? - Chicken and beef.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58Giving it just a bit more meaty flavour.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01So I'm going to actually take our venison off now.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04How can you tell it's properly cooked?
0:06:04 > 0:06:06This is one of the most difficult questions to answer,
0:06:06 > 0:06:08and chefs get asked it all the time,
0:06:08 > 0:06:12because when you're cooking a piece of meat from the same animal
0:06:12 > 0:06:14over and over again, of course you know.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17You know by touch, you know by look and that's how you know.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21But really, animals are just all different, so really it's a gamble.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23I'm just hoping that this is ready.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25You're winging it, are you?
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Now resting it is the key thing, isn't it?
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Absolutely. Resting is so, so important,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36because what you want to do is let it relax,
0:06:36 > 0:06:38and what happens is that all the juice
0:06:38 > 0:06:41and all the deliciousness just mellows out in there
0:06:41 > 0:06:43and you can just really feel it when you eat it.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45And if you ate that now, it would be tough.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47- It would be tough. - But leave it a bit?
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Yeah, leave it a bit. It's about maybe half the cooking time,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53approximately, if you've got the patience.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56OK, I'm going to pass my sauce...
0:06:56 > 0:06:59- You're just straining it off? - Yes, I'm straining it off,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02because I want to remove most of the juniper berries,
0:07:02 > 0:07:04the garlic and the thyme.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06So I'm just going to take some of the juniper berries...
0:07:06 > 0:07:08I was going to say, you're not going to lose them all?
0:07:08 > 0:07:12Not going to lose them all. I'm going to give it a little chop.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15You get a lovely juniper flavour, and that's what we want,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18that's what you associate so much with venison.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20- What are you doing now? - So I'm just going to add
0:07:20 > 0:07:22just a little drop of cream, not too much.
0:07:22 > 0:07:23It's a kind of a simple dish,
0:07:23 > 0:07:25but you can't do without the cream, can you?
0:07:25 > 0:07:28No, you need a little bit of the richness I think to make it special.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31So I think we're ready to plate our venison haunch.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35- It's looking really good, isn't it?- Yup.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38So that resting time is just so important.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41It looks really good. Nice and pink in the centre.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Which is really what you want, isn't it, with any red meat?
0:07:44 > 0:07:47That's what I want. It looks tender,
0:07:47 > 0:07:50but that could just be because you've got a fantastically
0:07:50 > 0:07:51sharp knife.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54Yes, but for venison haunch, that is lovely and tender.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56I can feel it as I'm carving. OK.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00- So this is going to be quite an experience?- Yup.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Lovely greens. And they are green. What's the secret?
0:08:03 > 0:08:06You just want to cook them very quickly at a high heat, that's it.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08Don't spend a long time on it.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15Now our venison and our sauce, our juniper sauce.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19I'm reaching for the knife and fork at this stage.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21And, like a true gentleman, I'm reaching for yours, too.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25- Oh, you're so good, thank you. - Go on, you first, you cooked it.- OK.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29Oh, yes.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31That does look good.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33I'm going to have some of the green stuff with it, too.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36Being very healthy. OK?
0:08:36 > 0:08:42The juniper and the Madeira just go so well with the venison.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Mm. Mm!
0:08:44 > 0:08:46Absolutely terrific.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49I've never really thought too much of venison,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52but I think you've changed my mind.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54Well, that makes my day, Michael.
0:08:54 > 0:08:59I think the Queen had fireworks in Kew Gardens after this birthday lunch.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03There are fireworks in my mouth, it's absolutely lovely!
0:09:08 > 0:09:11When it comes to a chocolate birthday cake,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14it's said the royals always use the same recipe.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17It's been a hit since chef Gabriel Tschumi first made it for
0:09:17 > 0:09:20the present Queen's grandmother, Queen Mary.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22It's Tschumi's chocolate cake.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27Chocolate has always represented the ultimate in royal indulgence,
0:09:27 > 0:09:30and, Anna, I think there's one very special chocolate cake
0:09:30 > 0:09:34that is wheeled out for every royal birthday, isn't there?
0:09:34 > 0:09:36That's right, Queen Mary's birthday cake.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39- That's the wife of George V? - That's right. Yes.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41So for 100 years, this chocolate cake has been brought out
0:09:41 > 0:09:44- at royal birthdays.- Yeah, and today you're going to see why.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Better than that, I'm going to eat it.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48- So I'm going to start off with a sabayon.- What's a sabayon?
0:09:48 > 0:09:52A sabayon is where you get a kind of simmering pan of water
0:09:52 > 0:09:55and in a heatproof bowl, you're going to put your eggs and sugar in.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57So it cooks very gently.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59Cooks very gently, but as you can see, this is full of air,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02and that's exactly what you want with a lovely sponge cake.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05So once you can kind of write the figure eight,
0:10:05 > 0:10:07or if you want to write Anna, you can,
0:10:07 > 0:10:11- you know that it's ready. - That's what makes a signature dish!
0:10:11 > 0:10:16Exactly. So now we're going to sieve in our flour
0:10:16 > 0:10:18and you sieve your flour so that it incorporates
0:10:18 > 0:10:22as much air as you possibly can as well.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26Only the very finest bits go down there, or just goes in slowly?
0:10:26 > 0:10:30We're going to fold it in, so that we are protecting the air like that.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32And we're going to do that with...
0:10:32 > 0:10:35Look at the way it's... It's like a tsunami in there.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38Yeah. Then our melted butter.
0:10:38 > 0:10:39- Mm-hm.- Just fold it through.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42You're not kind of beating it up in any kind of way,
0:10:42 > 0:10:44- you're kind of lifting it up.- Yeah.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48And then that way you are just making sure you can't see any more
0:10:48 > 0:10:50of the butter and the flour.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52And we're almost done,
0:10:52 > 0:10:55and now I'm going to divide it between the two moulds there.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Apparently the royal cakes only ever have, "Happy Birthday," though,
0:10:58 > 0:11:00it doesn't say, "Happy Birthday, William,"
0:11:00 > 0:11:03or, "Happy Birthday, Harry," or something, just, "Happy Birthday."
0:11:03 > 0:11:05I'm going to pour these into the two moulds now.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08You want to try to make them as even as possible
0:11:08 > 0:11:10because it just makes the actual cake then,
0:11:10 > 0:11:13when you go to build it in layers, nice and even.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15- It makes it look better.- Yeah.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18So you pop that into the oven, 160 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21And this is what you get at the end of that?
0:11:21 > 0:11:23That's exactly what you get.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25The key to this cake is lots of layers of sponge
0:11:25 > 0:11:27and lots of layers of chocolate.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30- Because you split them all in half? - That's right, yeah,
0:11:30 > 0:11:31they are all cut perfectly in half.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33And then on the outside,
0:11:33 > 0:11:35we're going to finish it again with more chocolate ganache,
0:11:35 > 0:11:37so it's chocolate on chocolate.
0:11:37 > 0:11:38Ganache? What is a ganache?
0:11:38 > 0:11:44A ganache is this delightful, luxurious, silky chocolate filling.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48It's a real treat. So we melt cream and some sugar together in a pot
0:11:48 > 0:11:50and then just when it comes up to the boil,
0:11:50 > 0:11:52you pour it over your chocolate.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56- Ooh!- You let it rest for a minute or so.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58- Yes.- And then you just whisk it.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00Why do you let it rest for a minute or so?
0:12:00 > 0:12:02Why aren't you stirring away to get the chocolate melting?
0:12:02 > 0:12:04Well, you'd be removing some of the heat,
0:12:04 > 0:12:08and this is the only heat that you need to make your ganache.
0:12:08 > 0:12:09You wouldn't think it though,
0:12:09 > 0:12:11but by using a whisk, you stop incorporating air.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15- And you don't want air at this stage?- Not at this stage, no.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18Look at this! Look at this!
0:12:18 > 0:12:21- Oh, wow!- Silky, shiny, gorgeous, perfect.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23- Oh, lovely!- Yes.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26Now, this is a little bit hot for me to use,
0:12:26 > 0:12:29- so I've got one that I made earlier on...- OK, in the tradition.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31..that I'm going to use.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34And if you swap places with me, I'll start to build this.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36- Only for a moment, though.- OK, so...
0:12:36 > 0:12:38I don't want to be too far away from this.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41I absolutely love building cakes. Right, so,
0:12:41 > 0:12:44in the centre of each kind of sponge,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47you're going to put some of the chocolate ganache.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51So the trick with this dish is not to hold on the chocolate, eh?
0:12:51 > 0:12:54Yeah. Chocolate, just more chocolate, more chocolate.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56- And then a bit more after that? - Yeah, that's it.
0:12:56 > 0:12:57It's certainly, on the outside,
0:12:57 > 0:13:00you're going to completely cover it in chocolate.
0:13:00 > 0:13:05So it feels like a special, celebratory kind of cake.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09And what is it about building cakes that appeals to you particularly?
0:13:09 > 0:13:11It's fun!
0:13:11 > 0:13:13So we're almost done, three layers in.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15They're quite thin layers, though.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18I think the ratio of chocolate and sponge is just right, you know?
0:13:18 > 0:13:21If it was too big, you wouldn't really get your chocolate kick.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24- Is that the last bit? - This is the last bit.
0:13:24 > 0:13:25This is when the real fun happens.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29OK, so we really need to get this on top.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31Oh, now you're putting a lot more chocolate on the top
0:13:31 > 0:13:32than you did in the layers.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35Yeah, so, then, because I need to get it all around the sides.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38So I'm going to gently nudge this over.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41Oh, like, isn't this just so lovely? This is very therapeutic.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44- I could do this all day. - They have it at all their birthdays,
0:13:44 > 0:13:48but the Queen had this especially, I think, on her 80th birthday,
0:13:48 > 0:13:51but with a special Highgrove twist to it.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55She had fruit from Highgrove actually in the cake.
0:13:55 > 0:13:56Oh, I think that would have been delicious.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00- Chocolate and fruit is classic. - Yet another layer inside.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04You spend a bit of time just making sure it's right.
0:14:04 > 0:14:05- Finito?- Finito.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07Can I move the plate over?
0:14:07 > 0:14:09You're like the best helper ever.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12Oh, wow, look at that!
0:14:12 > 0:14:16No, no, no. Come on, let's have a bit.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18Don't you start nibbling.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20I'm quite happy with that.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23That looks quite delicious. Let's get it cut.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Oh, I love, I love a sponge cake.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28- Yeah!- It's so satisfying to cut.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30Oh, I'm so excited to try this.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Why are you putting it away from me?
0:14:33 > 0:14:36Because normally, I don't get a look-in when we go
0:14:36 > 0:14:38to eat a bit of chocolate. Look at that!
0:14:38 > 0:14:39Multistorey.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42- Oh, look at that! - After you, then, Anna.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44Yes, it's all about me.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47Anybody would have thought you'd have cooked it.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50- Oh, I'm going to get the whole lot. - Mm.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53- What a great recipe.- It is.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Lovely, the way you've got the layers.
0:14:56 > 0:14:57And it's really soft and light.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01Well, many happy returns!
0:15:01 > 0:15:03When it comes to birthdays,
0:15:03 > 0:15:07cake is a must-have and it usually follows a tasty, celebratory meal.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15Royal chef Carolyn Robb produced many delicious birthday meals
0:15:15 > 0:15:17while working at the royal household.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19And today, she's going to make two courses
0:15:19 > 0:15:22from one of her favourite celebrations.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25I think the one I remember the most fondly was
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Prince Charles's 50th birthday
0:15:27 > 0:15:30because that was a party arranged for him by William and Harry.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32They took charge of everything, including the menu.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34It was a chicken dish, which was one of their favourites,
0:15:34 > 0:15:36it was always a family favourite,
0:15:36 > 0:15:41followed by ice cream, home-made ice cream and fruit from the garden.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44What we're going to do first is make some chicken mousse.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46So I've got 150g of chicken breast
0:15:46 > 0:15:49and just blend it a little bit.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55So that's broken down quite a bit. Now I'm going to add some basil.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57I always like to add lots and lots,
0:15:57 > 0:16:00just because it makes it such a gorgeous, pale green colour.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02And one of the reasons for doing this dish
0:16:02 > 0:16:05for Prince Charles's birthday was because he so loved herbs,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08and you are able to use them in abundance in this dish.
0:16:08 > 0:16:13I'm going to put a twist of pepper, add in some cream.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18Right, one more stem and then I think that'll be enough.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28OK. It's a really lovely, fresh, vibrant green colour.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34The next stage is to make an incision into the chicken breast,
0:16:34 > 0:16:36all the way from the front to the back.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38This doesn't have to be perfectly neat.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42If a little bit comes out while it's cooking, it really doesn't matter.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45It's supposed to be a rustic dish.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47Once Carolyn has stuffed the chicken,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50she adds a little butter and wraps in clingfilm.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52After poaching for 12 minutes,
0:16:52 > 0:16:55they are then pan-fried for a further four.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57So all we need to do now is plate it up.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01Slice the chicken, just do it in four or five slices
0:17:01 > 0:17:03so you can see the nice mousse through the middle.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05Carolyn served the chicken
0:17:05 > 0:17:08with some of Prince Charles's favourite vegetables -
0:17:08 > 0:17:09sauteed spinach and mushrooms
0:17:09 > 0:17:12accompanied by Boulangere potatoes
0:17:12 > 0:17:14and finished with a cream sauce.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18Although it was a private party for personal friends,
0:17:18 > 0:17:20it was a really big event in many ways,
0:17:20 > 0:17:24because all of Prince Charles's 17 godchildren were invited.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27And together with Prince William and Prince Harry,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30they put on the most incredible production,
0:17:30 > 0:17:34a series of little skits and musical numbers, and it was amazing.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36This is one of my favourite dishes
0:17:36 > 0:17:40and I think it makes such a great birthday or celebration meal.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44But no birthday celebration would be complete without a sweet treat,
0:17:44 > 0:17:49and for Prince Charles's 50th, Carolyn made poached pears.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Today, I've chosen some Williams pears.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54They're quite firm still,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58which means they'll be absolutely perfect for poaching.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00I'm now using a melon baller.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02Just going to go in and scoop out.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04And that's really nice, when it's being eaten,
0:18:04 > 0:18:07you don't have to worry about any pips.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11And I'm just going to trim the bottom, so that when it's cooked,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14it stands up perfectly.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16Carolyn poaches the pears in a vanilla, ginger
0:18:16 > 0:18:18and orange zest syrup -
0:18:18 > 0:18:21they take ten minutes to cook - before chilling in the fridge.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24They are then ready to serve along with vanilla ice cream.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27Now I'm going to plate it up.
0:18:27 > 0:18:28And I've got a little trick
0:18:28 > 0:18:32that I use to stop the ice cream from skating all over the plate.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Either put a little biscuit or a tiny little meringue
0:18:35 > 0:18:37or a macaroon, or today,
0:18:37 > 0:18:39I've got a few crumbs of honeycomb,
0:18:39 > 0:18:45and that just stops the ice cream from skating all over the plate.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47The ice cream sits on the top of that.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51Ice cream was always a great favourite, particularly for birthdays.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53The favourite was vanilla ice cream, just a very simple,
0:18:53 > 0:18:57home-made vanilla with wonderful cream from the dairy at Windsor,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00and that was always served with fruit from the garden.
0:19:00 > 0:19:05And, of course, you always need a sprig of fresh mint - my favourite.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07So it is a very simple dessert,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10but it was always a great favourite.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14With Prince Charles' favourite poached pears and chicken supreme,
0:19:14 > 0:19:17it was certainly a birthday meal to remember.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26Historian Dr Annie Gray is en route to a venue which hosted one of
0:19:26 > 0:19:29the most lavish royal parties in Edwardian Britain.
0:19:29 > 0:19:35Birthday cake, balloons, party poppers.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39All of these things are part and parcel of a good birthday bash.
0:19:40 > 0:19:45But they don't quite cut it when you're holding a party for a king.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49The party was in honour of King Edward VII -
0:19:49 > 0:19:52well-known foodie and party animal.
0:19:54 > 0:19:59So what do you do when you hold a birthday bash for a king?
0:19:59 > 0:20:03Well, you hold it at the most fashionable hotel in town,
0:20:03 > 0:20:08and you serve it to your guests seated in a gondola,
0:20:08 > 0:20:12AND you serve the birthday cake on the back of a small elephant.
0:20:12 > 0:20:17That's exactly what happened here in June 1905.
0:20:19 > 0:20:24London's Savoy Hotel was the setting for this extravagant event.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26The King himself didn't attend,
0:20:26 > 0:20:29but that didn't stop any expense being spared.
0:20:29 > 0:20:34Footing the bill was American champagne millionaire George Kessler.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39The hotel archivist is Susan Scott.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41This is just absolutely incredible.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46So in 1905, this was an open courtyard,
0:20:46 > 0:20:48there was a gondola in the middle of the courtyard,
0:20:48 > 0:20:51- which was full of water? - Two gondolas.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53They had one big gondola,
0:20:53 > 0:20:56which was the one that had the dining table in it,
0:20:56 > 0:20:58and then there was a smaller one
0:20:58 > 0:21:01in which they put the band who played for the evening.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03The whole space was flooded.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06They used putty to seal every single doorway,
0:21:06 > 0:21:09anything that looked like it might leak.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11The piece de resistance, as if that were not enough,
0:21:11 > 0:21:15is they brought in a baby elephant, with an enormous...
0:21:15 > 0:21:17I think it had something like five tiers,
0:21:17 > 0:21:21this huge birthday cake on its back.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24Essentially, money was no object.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29The historic Savoy has a treasure trove of an archive,
0:21:29 > 0:21:31which details this extraordinary party.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38This is the line-up of all the actual guests at the party.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41The headlines are incredible, aren't they?
0:21:41 > 0:21:43"Money-mad rich."
0:21:43 > 0:21:47£125 a head is an enormous amount.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51I mean, it's the salary of a really top-notch cook in a private household.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53This was something quite spectacular,
0:21:53 > 0:21:57it really was above and beyond the usual standard of extravagance.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01Although Edward didn't attend the party,
0:22:01 > 0:22:03he'd been a regular visitor as Prince of Wales.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05In fact, his aristocratic set
0:22:05 > 0:22:08helped make supper at the Savoy an institution
0:22:08 > 0:22:10amongst smart society.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13When people saw that they would come and have a lunch in a hotel,
0:22:13 > 0:22:16which essentially was the same as dining in public,
0:22:16 > 0:22:19instead of in their own private homes, it changed everything.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21Suddenly, everybody started coming.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27There were lots of other favourite dishes for the royals' birthday parties,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30they were such extraordinarily lavish affairs.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32You've got one, I think.
0:22:32 > 0:22:37A pudding from the 21st birthday party of King Edward VII's eldest son.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40Today I'm going to make savarin a l'orange.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43It's the type of pudding you want to have at a big festival
0:22:43 > 0:22:46or a big party. So I think I should get started.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49I've already got a basic kind of dough in here,
0:22:49 > 0:22:52just with the addition of eggs and orange zest.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55Now I'm going to add the butter in, bit by bit.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57This is exactly how you would make a brioche dough.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00You want to add your butter bit by bit
0:23:00 > 0:23:04so that it incorporates really well in with the mix.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08And it's going to end up as a kind of rum baba.
0:23:08 > 0:23:13I love rum baba. It's absolutely one of my favourite desserts, so, yeah,
0:23:13 > 0:23:15it's kind of like a rum baba.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17But actually, interestingly,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20the kitchen maid from Buckingham Palace,
0:23:20 > 0:23:23her recipe book in the early 1900s,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25it's got a recipe for babas.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28I think more of an everyday royal baba.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31- This is a birthday party rum baba. - I love it - everyday royal baba!
0:23:31 > 0:23:32Yes, an everyday royal baba.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34"Mix well," it says.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36But she didn't have one of these mixers?
0:23:36 > 0:23:39No, and I can't imagine what that was like.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41Trying to make a baba, a brioche,
0:23:41 > 0:23:44or a savarin dough without a machine would be a nightmare.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47Exactly. Mildred must have had strong forearms, I think.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49Yes, like Popeye!
0:23:51 > 0:23:52So we are almost there.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54You've got to have a bit of patience.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57I'm trying to throw the butter in there because I just want to do it,
0:23:57 > 0:24:00but really it's about adding it at the right pace.
0:24:00 > 0:24:01But... Oops!
0:24:01 > 0:24:04Then you're going to let it double in size,
0:24:04 > 0:24:05then you're going to knock it back.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08That means you're going to take all your anger out on the dough
0:24:08 > 0:24:10and punch all the air out of it.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14- Why are you pushing all the air out? - Because we are exercising the dough.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16You want to let it stretch.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18That's proving it. Then you've got to knock it back,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21so it can reprove again inside your mould,
0:24:21 > 0:24:22so it can be perfect and light.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24- Giving it a work-out.- Yes, exactly.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27Cover that with clingfilm, let it double in size.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29Pop it in the oven, and then it comes out like this.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32- It does look good. - Doesn't it look good?
0:24:32 > 0:24:33And this is when the fun really starts
0:24:33 > 0:24:36because this is when we are going to soak it.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40We are going to warm up your sugar, your rum and your orange juice,
0:24:40 > 0:24:42and add your orange zest in there as well.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45You want to just spike the savarin dough quite a bit
0:24:45 > 0:24:50so that when you pour your syrup on, it soaks through.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52You want to be able to soak it as quickly as possible.
0:24:52 > 0:24:57because you do want your savarin to soak while it's warm, ideally.
0:24:57 > 0:25:02It's amazing when you think of what these people ate.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04- I know.- This is at the end of a meal.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07A 21st birthday party for Prince Albert Victor, at Sandringham.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Do you know what else they had before they even got round to this?
0:25:10 > 0:25:13- No, but I know you're going to tell me.- I've got it written down here.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17They had, "Partridge, wild duck, pheasant, stag, turkey, salmon,
0:25:17 > 0:25:20"oysters and turbot dressed in a lobster champagne sauce."
0:25:20 > 0:25:23- Oh, my God!- How much room would you have for your savarin after that, do you think?
0:25:23 > 0:25:26They must have been dancing and having fun,
0:25:26 > 0:25:28and it must be over a whole day, you know.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31They had nothing else to do but party. They were very lucky.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34Probably about the fourth meal of the day.
0:25:34 > 0:25:35OK, look, it's soaking in, isn't it?
0:25:35 > 0:25:39You want to continue adding all your syrup in gradually
0:25:39 > 0:25:40every kind of five minutes or so,
0:25:40 > 0:25:43until it's completely soaked through.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46Which I have already done for you, Michael.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49So here we have, this is the same, just turned the other way around.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52It looks really soaked in the stuff.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54But it's not finished. We have to finish it.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58We need some cream and then we're going to, just at the end,
0:25:58 > 0:26:00grate a little bit of the orange zest on top.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02It just gives it that lovely, fresh,
0:26:02 > 0:26:05kind of perfumey flavour from the orange.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08So, I know you don't like cream, or sweets...
0:26:08 > 0:26:10- Can't stand the stuff.- No!
0:26:10 > 0:26:12- That looks good, doesn't it? - It does look good.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17And then we're going to finish it with a bit of zest.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21I love, I mean, my God, the smell that you get of the zest of...
0:26:21 > 0:26:24- It's fabulous. - Oh, it's lovely, isn't it?
0:26:24 > 0:26:27- And you don't have to get that white bit of the pith.- Exactly.
0:26:27 > 0:26:32You just want to be careful you're just taking little shavings of it off.
0:26:32 > 0:26:33You know, it was a birthday party.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36It is a birthday cake, do you think candles?
0:26:36 > 0:26:38No! No, candles would ruin it.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41Anyway, there's a lot of rum in there, it might flambe up!
0:26:41 > 0:26:45They are naff anyway, aren't they, candles on birthday cakes?
0:26:45 > 0:26:47Unless you're five years old.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51It seems a shame to cut it.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53- But we will.- Oh, we will.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55There we go. I've got a plate.
0:26:55 > 0:26:56Can you hear that?
0:26:56 > 0:26:58That sounds delicious.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02It's kind of sucking, almost, isn't it? There's a bit of a glug.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04This sounds good.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Excellent.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12Oh, look how the booze has soaked through.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15I'll give you a little bit of extra cream, that's the best...
0:27:15 > 0:27:17Don't stint on the cream, no.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19That's not the best bit, the rum's the best bit.
0:27:19 > 0:27:20Here we go.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24- You go first.- No, after you, you're the cook.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26- OK, OK.- I wouldn't normally be like this.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29- I'd be in it before you. - Look at that.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34- I think you got...- The best bit. - ..the best bit.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36Here we go.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41Is it soggy or is it soggy?
0:27:41 > 0:27:42That is so good.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48You can really get the orange in it.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51The squeeze of booze and the orange.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55Actually, that's really nice. I should think Prince Albert Victor,
0:27:55 > 0:27:58if he were still conscious by this time,
0:27:58 > 0:28:02hadn't eaten himself under the table, had a great birthday party.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04That's brilliant, well done, Anna.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07That's it from our celebration of royal birthdays.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09See you next time.