0:00:02 > 0:00:04The royal family are steeped in tradition.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07And throughout history, the royal tables have showcased
0:00:07 > 0:00:09culinary excellence. In 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 our 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 > 0:00:24Now, the Queen Mother had this really wicked trick with these.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26What a mess!
0:00:26 > 0:00:29..we sample royal eating alfresco...
0:00:29 > 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 > 0:00:37Pheasant, stag, turkey, salmon,
0:00:37 > 0:00:39oysters and turbot dressed in a lobster-champagne sauce.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Unbelievable!
0:00:41 > 0:00:43This is...
0:00:46 > 0:00:48Hello. I'm Michael Buerk,
0:00:48 > 0:00:51and 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 at this grandest of country houses,
0:01:05 > 0:01:10we'll 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 kitchenmaid'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 > 0:01:28Inside, the recipes of Mildred Nicholls,
0:01:28 > 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 > 0:01:37we'll be bringing these recipes back to life.
0:01:43 > 0:01:48This time - dishes cooked for royal children throughout history.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51A royal childhood may be like no other, but tastes in food can be
0:01:51 > 0:01:53surprisingly familiar.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56Today, in the Royal Recipes kitchen,
0:01:56 > 0:02:01chef Paul Ainsworth cooks a royal nursery favourite - cottage pie...
0:02:01 > 0:02:03Makes me feel like a child again.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05- And it takes a lot to do that, I tell you.- Fantastic.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07..historian Annie Gray tours
0:02:07 > 0:02:10the grand Wendy house where
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Victoria and Albert's children learned to cook...
0:02:13 > 0:02:17The children, they would come down to Swiss Cottage every day and cook.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20And sometimes, their mother and her ladies would join them,
0:02:20 > 0:02:22eating whatever they'd prepared.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26..and former royal chef Darren McGrady cooks banana flan.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29Perfect for the princes' school holidays.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33We always knew when Prince William and Prince Harry were going
0:02:33 > 0:02:36to be home because Princess Diana would write banana flan on the menu.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45In the magnificence of the Victorian kitchen wing,
0:02:45 > 0:02:47we start with the nursery food
0:02:47 > 0:02:50guaranteed to keep any young royal happy.
0:02:54 > 0:02:55This is the historic kitchen,
0:02:55 > 0:02:57and this is the very modern
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Michelin-starred chef Paul Ainsworth.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Kids' stuff today, Paul. Royal children's food.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06- What are you going to do for us? - Well, we're going to do a beautiful cottage pie.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09- Cottage pie?- Yeah.- That is supposed to be Prince William's favourite,
0:03:09 > 0:03:10or at least it was when he was a child.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14Reportedly so, yeah, absolutely. And I love cottage pie.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17So here we have, Michael, which is really important, the base. OK?
0:03:17 > 0:03:20We've got carrots, onions, leek, celery.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22And we're just going to add some thyme as well.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24We're just going to get the thyme in there,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27- which is beautiful.- That's really herby, isn't it?
0:03:28 > 0:03:30So we've got our delicious vegetables.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32Garlic, thyme.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35- OK. We're going to add a little pinch of cracked black pepper... - Yeah.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38..which is delicious. And a little bit of seasoning at this stage.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41- That seasoning's going to really bring out the flavour of the vegetables.- Yeah.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44- Next, we've got our mushroom ketchup.- Let me have a sniff.
0:03:44 > 0:03:45It's delicious stuff.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47- It does smell like Worcestershire sauce.- It's very similar.
0:03:47 > 0:03:48So a nice glug of that.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50Now, we're going to add in our flour.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55That's just going to mix with those vegetables and that lovely,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57reduced mushroom ketchup.
0:03:57 > 0:03:58And that's the base.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00Now, we add in our lovely, browned mince.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02OK. This is beef shin.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05- That's just been roasted down so we've rendered that fat off.- Yeah.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09- In we go. Like so.- Yeah.- OK?
0:04:10 > 0:04:11Now, we're adding in our beef stock.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13SIZZLING
0:04:13 > 0:04:15And go easy. Don't drown it.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Just covering, like that.
0:04:19 > 0:04:20We don't want it too sloppy?
0:04:20 > 0:04:23We don't. We want it to thicken nicely.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27We want that really lovely flavour coming through from the mince,
0:04:27 > 0:04:30our vegetables, the garlic, the thyme, and so on.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34So even though it's children's food in a sense, it's nursery food,
0:04:34 > 0:04:35it's not bland, is it?
0:04:35 > 0:04:36It's not at all.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38So this one's going to go into the oven.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41- Yep.- And here we have a mix that's come out the oven.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43Look at that! All right?
0:04:43 > 0:04:46And that is just rich, reduced.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49We're going to transfer this now
0:04:49 > 0:04:52into our pot. So, just like so.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56Stand back. I wouldn't want to splash your jumper, Michael.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58- In we go.- I've only got the one!
0:05:02 > 0:05:04- You can have one of mine.- No, thank you.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10- This is Prince William's favourite, or was Prince William's favourite. - Yeah.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12Some of the other royals, when they were children,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15had...had, you know, really quite... I was about to say common taste.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18Princess Anne, apparently, used to love having fish and chips,
0:05:18 > 0:05:21traditional-style, out of a newspaper.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23Right, OK. That's the only way to have fish and chips.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25There's something nostalgic about that.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29OK. Now, we're just going to very...
0:05:29 > 0:05:32We're not doing it in a piping bag, we're not getting fancy with it,
0:05:32 > 0:05:36- we're just spooning it on. - Sloshing it on.- Yeah, sloshing it on like that.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40You know what I love, is when it comes up the sides
0:05:40 > 0:05:44and it boils over a bit and you've got the potato mixes...
0:05:47 > 0:05:49..with that lovely mince mix.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52- OK.- Wow.- Right, OK.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54So you see we've got it like that?
0:05:54 > 0:05:56- Now, you're going to smooth it out a bit?- We're going to take our fork.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58Smooth it over like that.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00- You see where we're making the lines...- Yeah.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02They're all now those individual lines -
0:06:02 > 0:06:03they catch under the grill.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05- And they get crusty.- And that's what gets crusty.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08- If you just didn't do that, it wouldn't...- Yeah.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10You wouldn't get those spiky, crispy bits, which are delicious.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Cheese on. And that is ready for the oven.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Half an hour at about 180 degrees,
0:06:15 > 0:06:18and then just finish under the grill
0:06:18 > 0:06:20so you get all those lovely, crispy bits.
0:06:20 > 0:06:21The cheese will be bubbling.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23- Beautiful!- Little crusty, brown bits.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25I've got one out there - would you mind getting it for me?
0:06:25 > 0:06:26THEY LAUGH
0:06:29 > 0:06:31MICHAEL GROANS
0:06:31 > 0:06:33This is really, really heavy.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37- And it smells sensational. - That is sensational, isn't it?
0:06:37 > 0:06:39- Let's dish up.- Absolutely. - Let's dish up.
0:06:39 > 0:06:40- Don't hold back.- Wow!
0:06:40 > 0:06:42Wow! Right.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45- (OK.)- Oh, I say.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47I'm going to go in like that.
0:06:49 > 0:06:54- Oh, that looks good.- Then, some more of that beautiful, rich mix.- Mm-hm.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57- Then you've got that crispy cheese on top.- Yep.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59And just a little extra.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02Just a bit more of it.
0:07:02 > 0:07:03Like that.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05I can't get enough of the cheese.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07- Absolutely delicious. - MICHAEL LAUGHS
0:07:07 > 0:07:09- There we are, Michael.- OK.
0:07:09 > 0:07:10- Cottage pie...- Give me a fork.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13- ..for you.- The gold one.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15- Yes, of course.- There's a plastic one there for you.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17I've got a plastic one here, yeah.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19OK, here we go.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21I'm going to have a bit of both.
0:07:21 > 0:07:22There we go.
0:07:22 > 0:07:23- Some of your cheese.- Yeah.
0:07:27 > 0:07:28Mm.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31It makes me feel like a child again.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33And it takes a lot to do that, I tell you.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35- Fantastic. Glad you're enjoying it. - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Here we go.
0:07:37 > 0:07:38Mm!
0:07:40 > 0:07:42A comforting taste of childhood.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46Historically, royal children have always had their own chefs,
0:07:46 > 0:07:48and some even had their very own kitchen to play in.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54Historian Dr Annie Gray is at Osborne House,
0:07:54 > 0:07:57where one royal couple created a pint-sized paradise
0:07:57 > 0:08:02to give their nine children a taste of real, rather than royal, life.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05You might be forgiven for thinking that Victoria's children
0:08:05 > 0:08:07didn't have the most fun time.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11But here in the grounds of Victoria and Albert's private residence
0:08:11 > 0:08:13at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight,
0:08:13 > 0:08:17deep in the woods lurks something to help change your mind.
0:08:18 > 0:08:19And this is it -
0:08:19 > 0:08:22a traditional, wooden, Swiss cottage
0:08:22 > 0:08:26commissioned by Victoria and Albert and built in 1854.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30A place for the children to learn how to grow food as well as cook it.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34Here, they used to come and use their miniature wheelbarrows
0:08:34 > 0:08:36and miniature sets of tools to grow fruit and vegetables,
0:08:36 > 0:08:40which they then sold on to their father, Prince Albert, at market price.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43The children looked back as adults on their gardens very, very fondly,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46and it's clear that they absolutely loved coming here,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49playing in the gardens, growing everything,
0:08:49 > 0:08:51and eating everything as well.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54These gardens really were a little slice of paradise.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00The Swiss cottage style was very fashionable in mid-19th century gardens.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03But this house was all about the children,
0:09:03 > 0:09:05and was even built to 3/4 scale.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08So why did the royal children learn to cook?
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Clearly, they were never going to have to actually cook for themselves.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14They were expected to marry into the royal families of Europe,
0:09:14 > 0:09:16or perhaps the aristocracy.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18But that wasn't the point.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Not only was this an idealised version of the childhood that
0:09:21 > 0:09:24Victoria never had, but the cooking and the gardening
0:09:24 > 0:09:27and the playing with toy shops all had a purpose.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31It kept the children grounded in reality and it made sure that,
0:09:31 > 0:09:33when they were controlling servants of their own,
0:09:33 > 0:09:36they would know what should be going on inside the kitchens and the
0:09:36 > 0:09:38gardens that they ruled over,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41so that they could better control their own servants.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45The idea of royal domestic training was very unusual at the time.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48But Victoria and Albert were determined to keep the children
0:09:48 > 0:09:50in touch with reality.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54By the late 1850s, the children had settled into a fairly set routine.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57They would come down to Swiss Cottage every day and cook -
0:09:57 > 0:09:59either tea or lunch -
0:09:59 > 0:10:02and sometimes their mother and her ladies would join them,
0:10:02 > 0:10:04eating whatever they'd prepared.
0:10:04 > 0:10:05For birthday parties,
0:10:05 > 0:10:08the house would be decked out with bunting and they'd cook
0:10:08 > 0:10:11birthday cakes for each other and celebrate.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16There's remarkably little record of what was actually cooked here.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18A few mentions in journals and diaries.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21Something, for example, like a simple sponge cake.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25In this case, the original Victoria sandwich.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Today, we think of a Victoria sponge sandwich
0:10:27 > 0:10:31as one large, usually round cake, chopped in two,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34spread with raspberry or strawberry jam and then a layer of cream.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38But the original Victoria sponge was more like a finger sandwich
0:10:38 > 0:10:42made of fatless sponge cut up to look like white bread and
0:10:42 > 0:10:45spread with jam made from fruit from the children's own garden.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48The children were usually cooking for each other,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50but their mother would come down quite a lot
0:10:50 > 0:10:53and share a tea with them, or perhaps a luncheon.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59Kippers aren't the first thing that comes to mind as nursery food.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02But, according to Buckingham Palace staff at the time,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05the Queen developed her love for kippers as a child.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08She was playing at Windsor Castle with her sister, Princess Margaret,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11when she caught the aroma of kippers
0:11:11 > 0:11:13coming from the royal kitchens,
0:11:13 > 0:11:15and she's loved them ever since.
0:11:15 > 0:11:16This is a royal dish.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18Kipper puree.
0:11:18 > 0:11:19Rather like gentlemen's relish.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21You have it on toast. A favourite with...
0:11:22 > 0:11:25royals, adults and children alike.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27Mm.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30- That's pretty nice.- Quite an old-fashioned word that, puree.
0:11:30 > 0:11:31We'd probably know that now as pate.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33- Yeah.- Quite coarse.- Mm.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36Really nice. Kippers have been in favour with the royal family,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39- haven't they...- Yes.- ..all along?
0:11:39 > 0:11:42Even when kippers slightly fell out of favour with the rest of us
0:11:42 > 0:11:44around about the '70s or 1980s.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46- It's a shame really, isn't it? - It is.
0:11:46 > 0:11:47I think they're quite strong.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50And I think it's sometimes maybe the smell when they're cooking.
0:11:50 > 0:11:51There's a lot of bones to them as well.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53OK, so what are you going to do with kippers?
0:11:53 > 0:11:57We are going to make a beautiful kipper stata.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59Not a kipper starter?
0:11:59 > 0:12:00- That as well.- Yeah?!
0:12:01 > 0:12:03- Kipper stata.- OK.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06We're going to use these wonderful Manx kippers.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08So if you just see, they're basically brined, OK?
0:12:08 > 0:12:09And then smoked.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11Right, it's a very simple dish.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13I've just changed it slightly,
0:12:13 > 0:12:15just to kind of get more flavour
0:12:15 > 0:12:18into it than the sort of original recipe.
0:12:18 > 0:12:19So here we've got some leeks.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21Rather than just boiling those in water,
0:12:21 > 0:12:23I've sweated them down in butter.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25Cooked them without colour in butter.
0:12:25 > 0:12:26A little pinch of seasoning with the lid on,
0:12:26 > 0:12:31so all that flavour stays in the leek and not in the water.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33- Looks really soft.- Absolutely.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35Rather than just putting raw onion in there, I've sliced the onion,
0:12:35 > 0:12:37nice and thin, and I've just salted it.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41That kind of removes some of the water and breaks the onion down
0:12:41 > 0:12:43a little bit so it's not quite so raw.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46- Our dressing, we're going to use some balsamic vinegar.- Yeah.
0:12:46 > 0:12:47OK.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49We're going to have a little splash.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52This is like making a basic dressing.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55You can see a really good quality vinegar - nice and thick.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58- OK.- This is a more recent recipe in fact, isn't it?
0:12:58 > 0:13:00A royal recipe. In fact,
0:13:00 > 0:13:02it first seemed to emerge in a cookbook
0:13:02 > 0:13:06- that was published in honour of the Queen Mother.- Right. OK.- Yeah.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08- So it must have been one of her favourites, I suppose.- Yes.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Yeah. You can see straightaway,
0:13:11 > 0:13:14because we had that lovely, thick, balsamic vinegar,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17it goes thick straightaway, as soon as we emulsify the oil.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19A little bit of salt.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22Now, we're going to add in a spoonful of our buttered leeks.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24These are gorgeous cos they're nice and soft.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27- Wonderful flavour coming from the leek.- Yeah.- Our raw onion.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29It's quite a fascinating recipe, this.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31Very unusual.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35But just by salting it, that onion now, it's not too strong.
0:13:35 > 0:13:36Just mix that together.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40So I'm going to put some fresh parsley in there,
0:13:40 > 0:13:43- which goes absolutely beautiful with this mix.- Yeah.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46Like that. I'll just put some fresh parsley.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48Because we got that lovely onion and leek in there,
0:13:48 > 0:13:50we're going to put some chive in there,
0:13:50 > 0:13:52- just so it all marries together. - Yeah.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54So we're just going to chop some...
0:13:54 > 0:13:56Finely chop some chives.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59Not normally kippers are a favourite of children,
0:13:59 > 0:14:02so it's rather surprising in a way it has been a favourite of
0:14:02 > 0:14:04several of the royal children down the generations.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06- What's great about it is the health benefits.- Yeah, yeah.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09So we've got our kipper in there.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11Now, we just bring that mix...
0:14:13 > 0:14:16OK. Now, we're going to come over to our toast.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20A nice piece of crispy sourdough, like that.
0:14:20 > 0:14:21Yes, bring it over.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23- OK.- I'll make you some room.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25- Thank you very much.- There you go.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28I've got my golden fork.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30- My trademark.- Let me cut you a piece.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32- Let me cut you a piece.- All right.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34Patience.
0:14:34 > 0:14:35MICHAEL LAUGHS
0:14:35 > 0:14:37- Not my vir...- There we are. - I haven't got a mouth THAT big.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39Come on. I'm just going to get at it.
0:14:39 > 0:14:40There we go. Don't look.
0:14:42 > 0:14:43Beautiful!
0:14:46 > 0:14:48- That is really delicious.- Mm!
0:14:48 > 0:14:51When I read this recipe, I had my reservations and stuff,
0:14:51 > 0:14:52- but it so works.- Mm!
0:14:52 > 0:14:55- It's delicious.- Kipper stata.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57The Queen Mother's starter.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59- Fantastic!- One to remember her with.
0:14:59 > 0:15:00Yeah. Absolutely.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07I'm here in the library of the house with Ingrid Seward
0:15:07 > 0:15:10of Majesty Magazine and author of A Royal Childhood.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13So...how do they eat?
0:15:13 > 0:15:17They always eat in the nursery.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21The nursery is like the fiefdom of nanny.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23And the nursery footman.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26And they eat at precisely 4:30 for tea,
0:15:26 > 0:15:29which is half an hour before the grown-ups.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32And then they have supper at seven o'clock.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34But always separate from their parents?
0:15:34 > 0:15:37Well, they only eat with their parents when they can sit up straight,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40not fidget, and hold a knife and fork properly.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44But Prince Charles thought this was a bit archaic and he'd try something
0:15:44 > 0:15:47else, so he requested that Prince William should be brought down
0:15:47 > 0:15:49to have breakfast with him one day.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51Now, William was still in a high chair.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54And William got hold of an egg and, instead of eating it,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57he just dropped it on the floor.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00Prince Charles said, "I don't think we'll be repeating this experiment."
0:16:03 > 0:16:05So it sounds like for royal children,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08they almost eat in an ordinary way,
0:16:08 > 0:16:10not grand at all?
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Well, it's not grand, but it isn't that ordinary either.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15On one occasion, when Charles was a little bit older,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18he was going to go to a custard pie party.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20I don't think people have those any more!
0:16:20 > 0:16:25Anyway, so the chef cooked all these beautiful custard pies,
0:16:25 > 0:16:27but they weren't set solid.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31And when he arrived at the party and got the vats of custard
0:16:31 > 0:16:34out of the back, they were still a bit wobbly - he didn't realise that.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38Anyhow, when Charles came to throw his custard pies,
0:16:38 > 0:16:42they were still wet inside, and they had to have the whole room
0:16:42 > 0:16:44redecorated. That sort of...
0:16:44 > 0:16:46They love throwing things.
0:16:46 > 0:16:47Love throwing food.
0:16:48 > 0:16:49Ingrid, thanks.
0:16:52 > 0:16:57Darren McGrady spent more than 15 years cooking for the royal family.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01Four of those cooking for Diana and the boys at Kensington Palace,
0:17:01 > 0:17:03where a popular dish was banana flan.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09We always knew when Prince William and Prince Harry were going to be
0:17:09 > 0:17:13home because Princess Diana would write banana flan on the menu.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15So to make the pastry, the first part of the dish,
0:17:15 > 0:17:18I've got a food processor, and I'm going to add some flour.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20And some sugar. And then butter.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22If the butter is really chilled,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25the pastry you can start rolling straightaway.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27And then a little bit of vanilla.
0:17:29 > 0:17:30MIXER WHIRS
0:17:30 > 0:17:32We don't want to over-beat it,
0:17:32 > 0:17:34because if we do, we just tighten the mixture.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38And then into that, we can add an egg and then mix that in.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44As you can see, all this pastry comes together, then.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51This seems firm enough for me to roll out.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54And we want it nice and thin, not too thick.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58So once it is rolled out, fold it back onto the rolling pin,
0:17:58 > 0:18:00and then over your dish.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04The secret here is actually to lift and push with your finger.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07Then you go across the top with a rolling pin,
0:18:07 > 0:18:09and all the excess dough comes off.
0:18:09 > 0:18:14Then it goes on a baking tray, and we have to blind bake it.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16Take a little bit of parchment paper,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19put it into the bottom of our pastry ring.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22There we go. We have to put some weights.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24And we're using ceramic baking beans.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27If you don't have these at home, you can use rice.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33The pastry takes 15 minutes at 180 degrees.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36The next step is making the custardy, creamy filling.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40For the pastry cream, I'm going to start off with some eggs.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43I use five yolks and one whole egg.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Then I need to boil some milk and cream.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53While that's boiling, into my bowl I'm going to put some sugar...
0:18:55 > 0:18:57..some cornflour, a little vanilla...
0:19:00 > 0:19:01..and a pinch of salt.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04And then whisk all this together.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08Once the milk and the cream comes to the boil,
0:19:08 > 0:19:13I can just pour that now straight onto my egg mixture.
0:19:13 > 0:19:14Once it's all mixed in,
0:19:14 > 0:19:17it goes back into the pan on the stove.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25You just carry on whisking this until it all starts to thicken up.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28It goes into a bowl, a nice clean bowl...
0:19:29 > 0:19:33..and then a little bit of grease-proof paper over the top
0:19:33 > 0:19:34to stop a skin forming.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37And then into the refrigerator to set and cool down.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Once the pastry cream is made, we can then check on the flan.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44It should be a nice golden-brown now.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46Look at that. Beautiful.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50Carefully lift the parchment paper off.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57Now, it just needs to go back in the oven, just to harden up that base,
0:19:57 > 0:19:59The pastry's been in for a further five minutes.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02It should be ready now. While the flan's cooling,
0:20:02 > 0:20:05we can move onto the next stage,
0:20:05 > 0:20:07and that is to make the apricot jam.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10I'm going to heat the jam until it softens slightly,
0:20:10 > 0:20:13and that'll make much easier to spread.
0:20:13 > 0:20:14Then I can get my pastry cream.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18The pastry cream has just cooled nicely.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21All I need to do is just stir that.
0:20:24 > 0:20:25Mm, that smells so good.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28And then pour this into my flan
0:20:28 > 0:20:31and spread it nice and evenly.
0:20:31 > 0:20:36Then the bananas we can arrange neatly and stack them and overlap
0:20:36 > 0:20:42them to make it look pretty. I can take my jam and brush over the top.
0:20:42 > 0:20:43It makes a beautiful, sweet glaze,
0:20:43 > 0:20:46but at the same time stops the bananas from going brown.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50Once the jam is on there, covering all the bananas,
0:20:50 > 0:20:52that is what we're looking for.
0:20:52 > 0:20:57That is the banana flan that Prince William loved so much.
0:20:57 > 0:20:58The perfect dessert.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06Over 100 years earlier, at Buckingham Palace,
0:21:06 > 0:21:10kitchenmaid Mildred Nicholls would have prepared tea and puddings
0:21:10 > 0:21:13for the children of George V and Queen Mary,
0:21:13 > 0:21:15as well as cakes such as...
0:21:18 > 0:21:21That banana flan must have kept generations of royal children happy,
0:21:21 > 0:21:23- don't you think?- It sounded like good times to me.
0:21:23 > 0:21:24It did - good times, yeah.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28When our Buckingham Palace kitchenmaid, Mildred Nicholls,
0:21:28 > 0:21:30was writing her recipes in this book,
0:21:30 > 0:21:33there were six children running around the palace.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37- But that era of Edwardian extravagance was over, really... - Yeah.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41..because King George V was pretty stern and austere. And Queen Mary,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44not to put too fine a point on it, was a bit of a penny-pincher.
0:21:44 > 0:21:45And it reflects in this recipe.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47We're making Swiss roll today.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51But usually you would make the base, the sponge, with flour, and
0:21:51 > 0:21:54- we're using breadcrumbs.- Straight out of Mildred's recipe book?
0:21:54 > 0:21:56- Straight out of Mildred's recipe. - With breadcrumbs.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59- Have you ever used breadcrumbs in Swiss roll?- Never in Swiss roll.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02Let's taste - it might actually be really nice.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04- Here we go.- Right, OK, on you go. - Right.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07So what we've got in here is basically eggs and sugar,
0:22:07 > 0:22:08and we've just whisked them up,
0:22:08 > 0:22:10- and we are going to turn that back on.- Yup.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15And what this is, it is called a sabayon.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18- Sabayon?- A sabayon. So it's basically the sugar and the eggs
0:22:18 > 0:22:21are just whisked until they go nice and thick and fluffy.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23- Yes.- Now, we're going to add in our breadcrumb.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26This is basically like a...
0:22:26 > 0:22:29our kind of cake dough, so it's very, very simple.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Just going to turn that up, and just basically whisk it all in.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38But it be a bit of difference, having breadcrumbs
0:22:38 > 0:22:41- rather than flour, surely?- Yes. - Breadcrumbs must be coarser?
0:22:41 > 0:22:45Absolutely, and I think there will be a textural difference as well.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47As you can see, you've got those kind of grains of the breadcrumb in.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50- Yeah.- So we're just going to take that out of there, Michael.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52- OK.- Remove the whisk.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56Not that I suppose King George V would have noticed.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58He was very, very austere in his taste.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02He used to have thin soup at 11 o'clock.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04- Thin soup at 11 o'clock?- Yeah.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07And the thing he really liked was mashed potatoes, apparently.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09And did they have to have lumps in, or no lumps?
0:23:09 > 0:23:13Probably! And apple dumplings was the only dessert he really liked.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16- Apple dumplings?- Yeah. Lovely.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20Right, so, again, we just put in the mix right into the corners.
0:23:20 > 0:23:21We don't want any air.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24- Right.- So we just get in all of that mix.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26So you can see, quite simple -
0:23:26 > 0:23:29just breadcrumbs, the sugar and the eggs, whisked.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31This wouldn't have stretched Mildred too far, would it?
0:23:31 > 0:23:33No, I don't think so.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35So just into the corners.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38Yeah.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40And the important thing, Michael,
0:23:40 > 0:23:42is just to make sure that there's no air in the mixture.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44So just a gentle tap.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46- As you can see, you've got those little pockets.- Yep.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49- The reason for that is you don't get holes in the sponge.- Yeah.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Like that. Now, if I could send you to the scullery.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54That's my natural role.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57If you could put that in the oven, it's ten minutes, 200 degrees.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00- And you know the drill.- Yes, Chef. - Can you bring me back the other one?
0:24:00 > 0:24:02- Of course.- Thank you.- OK, Chef.
0:24:10 > 0:24:11Here we go.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17- Look at that!- It LOOKS nice, doesn't it?
0:24:17 > 0:24:19- It does, and it smells quite nice. - Yeah!
0:24:19 > 0:24:22- Whether it tastes nice... - Fantastic.- ..let's see.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24- What next?- So now we've got our sponge made,
0:24:24 > 0:24:26this is the next kind of important thing.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29You know that lovely kind of almost crispy texture around the outside of
0:24:29 > 0:24:31- Swiss roll, the sugar?- Yeah.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33So we're just going to sprinkle our sugar...
0:24:33 > 0:24:36- I'll get out of your way.- ..all over the tea towel.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39I'm going to be quite liberal with it, because we want...
0:24:39 > 0:24:41- It's important, while it's warm...- Excuse me a sec.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44- Sorry, is it on your shoes? - You've frosted me trousers.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47- There we go.- That's it, all over like this.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52And while it's warm, Michael, the sugar will stick.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55- So that is why you've got to do it while it's warm, eh?- Absolutely.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57So now, turn her over like that.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59MICHAEL CHUCKLES
0:24:59 > 0:25:00And just gently -
0:25:00 > 0:25:03you've got to work quite quickly as well -
0:25:03 > 0:25:08- just peel off from underneath like that. OK?- Yeah.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13Just like that.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16And it's so important to do this while it's warm.
0:25:16 > 0:25:21- There we go. OK.- Now, this is Swiss roll with breadcrumbs, eh?
0:25:21 > 0:25:23- Absolutely.- Rather than flour.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26Now, you want to get a really tight roll, OK?
0:25:26 > 0:25:28But don't get the cloth trapped in the middle,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31which I know sounds obvious, but is not as easy as you think.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33So just keep going over till you've
0:25:33 > 0:25:36- got your first roll, like this. - Yeah.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38And the reason you are doing it warm...
0:25:38 > 0:25:40is so that you get the fold.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Can you see the sugar coating it?
0:25:42 > 0:25:45- Yeah.- Now, go all the way over, like that.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48It would be terribly easy to get the cloth trapped,
0:25:48 > 0:25:50then you'd be completely snookered.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53Yeah, that's why you have got to keep it there, absolutely.
0:25:53 > 0:25:54Now, the whole idea now...
0:25:56 > 0:25:59- ..is leave that there...- Yeah.- ..and that's basically going to set,
0:25:59 > 0:26:02so it's almost a bit muscle memory, if you like.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Muscle memory!
0:26:04 > 0:26:08- So we are just going to...- So it only rolls one way, like snails?
0:26:08 > 0:26:10- Absolutely.- Snail shells, yeah.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13- We want it to cool...- Yeah. - ..so we get this.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18Like so. Now, we pull that cloth back.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21Now that's cooled down, see that lovely sugar crust?
0:26:21 > 0:26:24Now, you can see the whole Swiss roll taking shape.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27- Yup.- Don't worry about it.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29It wants to curl back because of its muscle memory?
0:26:29 > 0:26:33Because of its muscle memory. You like that word, don't you?
0:26:33 > 0:26:37- Now, what's this?- This is Mildred's actual recipe of creme patisserie.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39So, basically, a really thick custard.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42How different is it from just ordinary custard?
0:26:42 > 0:26:44- No different at all, actually. - Oh, right.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46This is just egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, milk,
0:26:46 > 0:26:48and then some flour to thicken it.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51So I want to make sure we have got plenty of custard.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53What, just in case it doesn't...
0:26:53 > 0:26:56- it doesn't feel cakey and fancy enough...- Absolutely, yes.- ..with the breadcrumbs?
0:26:56 > 0:27:00Yeah, so right over like this. Very liberal.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03Cos I don't think Queen Mary, you know, was that much of a foodie.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05Now, one of my favourites -
0:27:05 > 0:27:09and also Mildred as well - rhubarb jam.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11Absolutely delicious.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13Who doesn't like rhubarb and custard?
0:27:13 > 0:27:14Right, and then, same again.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16Keeping the tea towel out,
0:27:16 > 0:27:18just roll it back a bit.
0:27:18 > 0:27:19It should be easier, shouldn't it?
0:27:19 > 0:27:22Yeah, absolutely, because you've got the muscle memory.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24The muscle memory, yeah. Why do it with the tea towel and not
0:27:24 > 0:27:26just, now, just roll it with your hands?
0:27:26 > 0:27:29Because I want to keep it nice and tight, Michael.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31Now, with a palette knife we'll just get that,
0:27:31 > 0:27:33because we don't want to waste it.
0:27:33 > 0:27:34Push that like that on the ends.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37So that is Mildred's Swiss roll.
0:27:37 > 0:27:38Now, would you like a slice?
0:27:38 > 0:27:41- Oh, I think I could force one down(!)- Yeah.
0:27:41 > 0:27:42Right.
0:27:44 > 0:27:45I'll get myself a fork.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47Yeah, get yourself a fork.
0:27:47 > 0:27:48MICHAEL CHUCKLES
0:27:49 > 0:27:51- Right.- There we are.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53- Thank you.- Get stuck in.- I will.
0:27:57 > 0:27:58How's that?
0:27:58 > 0:28:00Mmm.
0:28:00 > 0:28:01Mm! It's the...
0:28:01 > 0:28:03it's the crust and the sugar that's nice,
0:28:03 > 0:28:06and the cream and the rhubarb.
0:28:06 > 0:28:07HE SMACKS HIS LIPS
0:28:07 > 0:28:08Mm!
0:28:08 > 0:28:11- You can see children would love it. - Delicious.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15OK, that's it from our celebration of cooking for royal children.
0:28:15 > 0:28:16See you next time.