0:00:02 > 0:00:04'The royal family are steeped in tradition, and throughout history
0:00:04 > 0:00:07'the royal tables have showcased culinary excellence.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09'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 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 > 0:00:25Now, the Queen Mother had this really wicked trick with these.
0:00:25 > 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 > 0:00:37Pheasant, 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 > 0:00:43'This 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 > 0:01:02In the splendour of the gardens, halls,
0:01:02 > 0:01:05and kitchen of 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 > 0:01:12And it all starts here,
0:01:12 > 0:01:16with this gem - a 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 > 0:01:28Inside, 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.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45This time we're cooking for royal weddings,
0:01:45 > 0:01:48a day the royal family and all the nation can celebrate
0:01:48 > 0:01:51in the most glorious style.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54There's pomp, pageantry, tradition.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56An event that throughout history has produced
0:01:56 > 0:01:58some of the finest royal wedding banquets.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01'Today in the royal recipes kitchen...'
0:02:01 > 0:02:05You can imagine the royal footman coming in with that.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07- Look at that.- Beautiful.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11'..Chef Anna Haugh takes inspiration from a Victorian wedding...'
0:02:11 > 0:02:12So, there you have it -
0:02:12 > 0:02:14stuffed crown of lamb with salsa verde.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16'..the moment baker Fiona Cairns
0:02:16 > 0:02:19'was asked to create a royal wedding cake...'
0:02:19 > 0:02:22It was the most amazing honour
0:02:22 > 0:02:25and I would say the beginning of sleepless nights for me.
0:02:25 > 0:02:30'..and Chef Paul Ainsworth showcases a royal wedding favourite.'
0:02:30 > 0:02:34I know that Princess Anne had lobster and partridge at her wedding.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Very posh.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42In the kitchen wing of this glorious stately home,
0:02:42 > 0:02:44we start our celebration of wedding food
0:02:44 > 0:02:47with a dish created for Princess Beatrice,
0:02:47 > 0:02:49beloved youngest daughter of Queen Victoria.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55Hello and welcome to the kitchen wing of the great house,
0:02:55 > 0:02:57and with me is top London chef Anna Haugh.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Royal weddings today.
0:03:00 > 0:03:01Everybody loves a wedding.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04But especially, I think, everybody goes mad for a royal wedding.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07Yeah, they're not just great dynastic occasions,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10but they're sometimes wild popular celebrations,
0:03:10 > 0:03:13and, as far as the royal family is concerned,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16something to be marked by an extra special banquet.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19I've got the menu card here for the wedding breakfast
0:03:19 > 0:03:22for Princess Beatrice, Queen Victoria's youngest daughter.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24Look at it. 14 courses.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28But the one that's interesting us today is this one -
0:03:28 > 0:03:32"Les cotelettes d'Agneau a l'Italienne,"
0:03:32 > 0:03:34which I suppose is Italian lamb chops.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36- Yeah.- Now, are you going to do that,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39or something a bit modern twist to it?
0:03:39 > 0:03:40Well, I'm quite inspired by this,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43so I've got a few Italian flavours through this
0:03:43 > 0:03:45and I'm going to use lamb chops,
0:03:45 > 0:03:49but I'm going to do a stuffed crown of lamb with a salsa verde.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51Wow. What do you do first?
0:03:51 > 0:03:54So, the first thing I'm going to make is the stuffing.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58So, in a pan here, cooking kind of slowly, I have some onions
0:03:58 > 0:04:00and some garlic.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03And to this I'm going to add the Parma ham...
0:04:03 > 0:04:06So it's got a very Italian flavour right from the start.
0:04:06 > 0:04:07Right from the start, yeah.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09And I don't know if you can smell that, Michael...
0:04:09 > 0:04:11I certainly can.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13You need to crisp up your Parma ham,
0:04:13 > 0:04:17which just smells delicious as it's caramelising now,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20and I'm going to add in porcini mushrooms.
0:04:20 > 0:04:21- Everything Italian.- Yeah.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24- Everything Italian.- Give that a little bit of a stir.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28The Victorians were rather in love with the idea of Italy.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31I think you had to be rich in those days,
0:04:31 > 0:04:33but they'd take themselves off on a grand tour to Italy
0:04:33 > 0:04:35and they must have picked up some of these dishes
0:04:35 > 0:04:37and the love for some of these dishes on the tours.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40Absolutely. And the Italians are famous for a bit of romance,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43- so it's quite fitting... - For a wedding breakfast.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47OK, so this is pretty much ready to go now.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50I would put it into a bowl to cool down,
0:04:50 > 0:04:52so that we can mix it with the breadcrumbs.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Essentially, something like this is what you need.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59- Yeah.- So, I'm going to take a little bit of cheese,
0:04:59 > 0:05:00Parmesan cheese to go in there.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02- Parmesan, of course.- Yes.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05And then I'm going to slowly add some crumbs.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08- There's going to be bags of flavour in there.- Oh, absolutely.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10Absolutely.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14And because this is stuffed in the centre of the crown,
0:05:14 > 0:05:18it's also going to absorb all those delicious lamb meat juices.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21I think Queen Victoria was in two minds about this wedding, you know?
0:05:21 > 0:05:25Because Princess Beatrice was her youngest daughter
0:05:25 > 0:05:28and she didn't want her to get married and leave,
0:05:28 > 0:05:32she wanted her to stay in the palace as her companion and, you know,
0:05:32 > 0:05:35when she got engaged, Princess Beatrice,
0:05:35 > 0:05:37Queen Victoria didn't speak to her for seven months.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41- Seven months?- Yeah.- Well, I guess when you live in a huge house,
0:05:41 > 0:05:43you can avoid each other easier.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46There might have been a few grinding of teeth at this wedding breakfast.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50I don't know. I think she may have forgiven her. She did wear her mother's wedding dress.
0:05:50 > 0:05:51Ah. Well, there you go.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54I'm going to add just a little bit of olive oil to this,
0:05:54 > 0:05:55just to bring it together.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58- What, to give it some sort of...? - Just to bring it together
0:05:58 > 0:06:00because we want to be able to kind of squeeze it
0:06:00 > 0:06:02into the centre of the lamb.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04You want to be careful when you add things like that,
0:06:04 > 0:06:06any wet ingredients to stuffing, you know,
0:06:06 > 0:06:08- stuff your stuffing... - MICHAEL LAUGHS
0:06:08 > 0:06:10- OK...- We wouldn't want that.
0:06:10 > 0:06:11Next, I'm going to tie the lamb.
0:06:11 > 0:06:12I'm interested in how you do this
0:06:12 > 0:06:15- because you're going to make it into a crown, aren't you?- I am.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17But, first of all, I'm going to season it.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20A little bit of salt goes a long way.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Now, do you want a little help with this?
0:06:23 > 0:06:25- Shall I hold it in place while you string it up?- Yes.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27I think I will, yes.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29- OK.- So...- What can I do?
0:06:29 > 0:06:31What we need to do is turn this around.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33I promise you, Michael, I know what I'm doing.
0:06:33 > 0:06:34You do, you do, you do.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36Just about.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38- Yeah.- So if I hold it like that...
0:06:38 > 0:06:40- Yeah.- Yeah.- Perfect.
0:06:40 > 0:06:41And then I will...
0:06:41 > 0:06:43Because this is the tricky bit, isn't it?
0:06:43 > 0:06:45Yeah, this is the tricky bit.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47- Trussing.- Yeah.
0:06:47 > 0:06:48The old crown of lamb.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52So you just need to kind of try to hook it underneath the bone,
0:06:52 > 0:06:55so that it kind of holds in place as it's cooking.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57It's quite easy, it's not too hard.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59I think even you could manage this, Michael.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02I'd be all fingers and thumbs.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Just give it a little bit of a tie.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Once it's cooked, will it stay in this position,
0:07:09 > 0:07:11or when you cut the string,
0:07:11 > 0:07:15will it all kind of fall apart?
0:07:15 > 0:07:17It will kind of hold its shape a little bit,
0:07:17 > 0:07:19but we have two racks of lamb that we're kind of connecting together,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22so it will kind of release a little bit,
0:07:22 > 0:07:24and then once you carve it, it will obviously...
0:07:24 > 0:07:25It's very grand, though, isn't it?
0:07:25 > 0:07:27- Yes.- It makes a wonderful impression when you wheel it on.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29- It's quite royal, isn't it? - Yeah.- A crown of lamb.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Now you're going to sort that out.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33I am. And now I'm going to stuff the centre
0:07:33 > 0:07:35with this fabulous Italian stuffing.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39- That looks good. It smells wonderful, doesn't it?- Yeah.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42And you don't want the stuffing to be too wet.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44You kind of want it to be fairly dry
0:07:44 > 0:07:47because you want it to be able to absorb,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49to have the spare kind of dryness
0:07:49 > 0:07:52to absorb all the meat juices from this.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54- Now this was a...- Smells amazing.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56...19th-century wedding breakfast,
0:07:56 > 0:08:00but is this the sort of food that's served at posh weddings these days?
0:08:00 > 0:08:01Well, yes, actually.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04I would definitely say that these are similar flavours
0:08:04 > 0:08:06that you would see... springtime, summer weddings.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08So I'm going to give this to you,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11pop into the oven at 200 degrees for about 25 minutes.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13And when you go out to the oven, will you grab one there,
0:08:13 > 0:08:15I've already got it resting.
0:08:15 > 0:08:16OK. Right, chef.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26You can imagine the royal footman coming in with that.
0:08:26 > 0:08:27Look at that.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29- Shall I pop it here? - Look at that. Beautiful.- Terrific.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33So, that looks absolutely perfect.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35Perfect. So, next I'm going to make our salsa verde.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38So salsa verde means, essentially, green sauce.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40And it's got a selection of all sorts of different herbs
0:08:40 > 0:08:42that are chopped through that.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46In here, we have some chopped parsley, basil and mint.
0:08:46 > 0:08:51So, really quite aromatic summer, kind of, feeling herbs.
0:08:51 > 0:08:56So we're going to chop our anchovies and our capers to add in there.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58What a mixture of flavours it's going to be.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00Yeah. Anchovies, I always think,
0:09:00 > 0:09:02is like a little secret weapon that you can add to things.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04Well, because you don't really know it's there.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06Although it's a very strong flavour,
0:09:06 > 0:09:09just one or two little fillets of anchovy in nearly any sauce,
0:09:09 > 0:09:13even in your lamb sauce, like your lamb gravy, it would be beautiful.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15But they're little explosions of taste, aren't they?
0:09:15 > 0:09:16Absolutely. Absolutely, yeah.
0:09:18 > 0:09:19Terrific.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23And then I'm going to slice a little bit of garlic because, I mean,
0:09:23 > 0:09:27we can't have salsa verde without some nice little slivers of garlic.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30I didn't think Queen Victoria had travelled abroad much at all,
0:09:30 > 0:09:33but I think she went to Italy a couple of times. Florence, I think.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35Oh, I would imagine she went to Florence.
0:09:35 > 0:09:36- Yes.- Beautiful Florence.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39And then last I'm going to add a little spoon of Dijon.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44- Anna, why?- Dijon's got a nice little kind of kick to it, acidity,
0:09:44 > 0:09:46which I think is quite important here.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48But also a bit of pepperiness in there,
0:09:48 > 0:09:49you know, a little bit of bite.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53It doesn't overwhelm the delicate aromatic flavours?
0:09:53 > 0:09:54No, absolutely not.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56No. I think it really marries in well.
0:09:56 > 0:10:01And now all we need to do is place our lamb...
0:10:01 > 0:10:04- Oh, be careful. - ..onto its serving platter.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06- Well done.- Here we are.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Carefully does it, Anna.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12A crown for the crowned heads, I suppose.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15- Yeah.- It is staying in position.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17It hasn't kind of...
0:10:17 > 0:10:20Don't speak too soon, Michael!
0:10:20 > 0:10:22Don't jinx me!
0:10:22 > 0:10:23And...
0:10:24 > 0:10:26Oh, yeah!
0:10:26 > 0:10:28OK, so I'm just going to put a little bit of the salsa verde
0:10:28 > 0:10:31- all around here.- You're actually putting it on the...
0:10:31 > 0:10:33Well, because that means you get a bit of flavour
0:10:33 > 0:10:36on each kind of lamb chop,
0:10:36 > 0:10:41inspired by the Italian lamb chops that Beatrice had.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44Interesting, though, even though it was an Italian dish, of course,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47it had to be in French on a Victorian menu.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49They were obsessed with menus in French.
0:10:49 > 0:10:50Weren't they just?
0:10:51 > 0:10:53OK. So there you have it -
0:10:53 > 0:10:56stuffed crown of lamb with salsa verde.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58Wow! How do you attack this?
0:10:58 > 0:11:00Well, I'm going to carve it.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03- You're not just going to rip all of them out?- No.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05Oh, look at that.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07Look at that! That looks beautiful.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12Now, do you want to grab yourself some tools there to be able to...
0:11:12 > 0:11:14- Oh, I will, I will.- ..cut into this.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16- There you go. I'm just going to pick it up.- Go on.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18Oh, yes, please do.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20I'm going to mix it in the salsa verde,
0:11:20 > 0:11:24I'm going to make sure I've got some of that lovely stuffing.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26Mm! Oh.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30The meat's wonderful. The stuffing...
0:11:30 > 0:11:32And the salsa verde, I think that's...
0:11:32 > 0:11:34That's a real flavour of the Mediterranean, but...
0:11:34 > 0:11:36the lamb is terrific.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39Mm! You know, Princess Beatrice...
0:11:39 > 0:11:42Excuse me a second. ANNA LAUGHS
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Princess Beatrice had 14 dishes at her wedding breakfast...
0:11:47 > 0:11:50..but this must have been the winner of all of them.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56'Not just a winning dish, but a crowning glory.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59'The Victorians knew a thing or two about creating a real spectacle
0:11:59 > 0:12:01'at a wedding.'
0:12:04 > 0:12:06That's certainly true of the wedding cake.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09The tradition of the grand nuptial centrepiece
0:12:09 > 0:12:11owes a lot to the royal family,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14as historian Dr Annie Gray explains.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18It was Queen Victoria who helped to set us on the path
0:12:18 > 0:12:21towards wanting show stopper wedding cakes.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25So I've come here to rural Leicestershire to meet Fiona Cairns,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28who is perhaps the queen of royal wedding cakes,
0:12:28 > 0:12:30so that we can find out together
0:12:30 > 0:12:33exactly how influential Queen Victoria's cake
0:12:33 > 0:12:37and those of her children were in helping to create what today
0:12:37 > 0:12:40we would think of as a right royal masterpiece.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44Luxury cake maker Fiona Cairns made
0:12:44 > 0:12:48the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding cake in 2011.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50- Hello, Annie.- Fiona.- Do come in.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54And she went back to the history books to begin her design.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00When Victoria and Albert married in 1840
0:13:00 > 0:13:02the world was fascinated,
0:13:02 > 0:13:07and pictures of the wedding circulated across the Empire.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10It must have been really interesting from a sort of public point of view
0:13:10 > 0:13:13because Queen Victoria was a character in whom
0:13:13 > 0:13:15there was so much public interest,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17so when she got married and there was this cake and there were
0:13:17 > 0:13:19illustrations of it...
0:13:19 > 0:13:20Here we have an illustration.
0:13:20 > 0:13:21It was huge, wasn't it?
0:13:21 > 0:13:23Three yards across.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25- Yeah.- That's huge!
0:13:25 > 0:13:28- I don't think this really does it justice, does it?- No, it doesn't.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30The cake reportedly weighed 300 pounds.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34And they made lots of them, so there were plenty to go round.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38Something like this would be mind-boggling for the average British person at that point,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41when two-thirds of people were living below the poverty line.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44While the public couldn't copy the size,
0:13:44 > 0:13:47the design help set trends that continue today.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51The use of white icing, or royal icing as it became known,
0:13:51 > 0:13:53was unusual at the time.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56You see a progression through the Victorian era.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59Trying to buy different grains of sugar is quite difficult still at this point.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01- And only for the rich.- Yeah.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05Victoria's love of extravagant decoration
0:14:05 > 0:14:08included very specific flowers.
0:14:08 > 0:14:09Queen Victoria's chef, Francatelli,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12when he wrote his guide to confectionery
0:14:12 > 0:14:14said that the finest designs for wedding cakes
0:14:14 > 0:14:16were orange blossoms in white icing.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19And Kate Middleton continued the tradition set by Victoria
0:14:19 > 0:14:22by choosing 17 varieties of flowers,
0:14:22 > 0:14:24including orange blossom,
0:14:24 > 0:14:26which symbolises eternal love and marriage.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28Each flower was made by hand.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30It should come away... That's it.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32And then using your cocktail stick,
0:14:32 > 0:14:35thin the petals out.
0:14:35 > 0:14:36- That's it.- Oops.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39In nature, they're always slightly different, so it's not an excuse,
0:14:39 > 0:14:41I just think that they actually look better.
0:14:41 > 0:14:42- Yeah.- It's more natural.
0:14:44 > 0:14:45It's very fiddly, this, isn't it?
0:14:45 > 0:14:49- It really is.- You've just got to be very precise.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51That's beautiful. Your first orange blossom.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54- It looks like a flower. - Very beautiful.
0:14:54 > 0:14:55- Well done.- Thank you.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59Altogether, Fiona made 900 flowers,
0:14:59 > 0:15:01each variety adding symbolism.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05Myrtle, which was carried in all the royal bouquets
0:15:05 > 0:15:07since Queen Victoria.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10Lily of the valley, which was so prominent for
0:15:10 > 0:15:12Kate and William's wedding,
0:15:12 > 0:15:14and was on the top of the wedding cake.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18And then we surrounded the entire base of the cake
0:15:18 > 0:15:21with the ivy leaves,
0:15:21 > 0:15:25which mean fidelity, friendship, marriage.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28Gosh, so it really just told enormous amounts of stories
0:15:28 > 0:15:30and said so much.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33- Yes.- I wonder how many people realised quite
0:15:33 > 0:15:37the level of intricacy and meaning within it.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41Fiona has been creating bespoke cakes for over 25 years,
0:15:41 > 0:15:44along with design director Rachel Eardley.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48But a royal cake commission is something rather special.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50I've got to ask,
0:15:50 > 0:15:54what happened when you got the call to make William and Catherine's wedding cake?
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Sends shivers down my spine now, I must say.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00- Yes, it was...- It was the most amazing honour
0:16:00 > 0:16:04and I would say the beginning of sleepless nights for me,
0:16:04 > 0:16:06right up until the wedding day.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08We were briefed by Catherine, weren't we?
0:16:08 > 0:16:10- Yeah.- She had a very, very...
0:16:10 > 0:16:11- Strong idea.- ..strong idea.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15Not just for our cake, but for the wedding itself,
0:16:15 > 0:16:17- for everything to work together as a whole....- Yes.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21- ..as a story.- She wanted something quite romantic.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Flowers were very important.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26She didn't want it to be ostentatious at all
0:16:26 > 0:16:28or straight up and down.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32Catherine said, "Could you please go into Buckingham Palace to see where
0:16:32 > 0:16:34"the cake will actually sit,
0:16:34 > 0:16:36"to look at the architectural detail
0:16:36 > 0:16:39"and try to incorporate that?"
0:16:39 > 0:16:42So do you see the garlands on the ceiling,
0:16:42 > 0:16:46which actually we did incorporate onto the cake.
0:16:46 > 0:16:47I think that's brilliant.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49She really did put a lot of thought into exactly
0:16:49 > 0:16:51what she wanted to say with this.
0:16:51 > 0:16:52When they showed us around,
0:16:52 > 0:16:55they thought it would be nice on a Queen Anne table,
0:16:55 > 0:16:59and we had to explain that it would be
0:16:59 > 0:17:02the weight of a good man, really.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06And the royal couple cut the eight-tiered cake
0:17:06 > 0:17:07at the wedding lunch,
0:17:07 > 0:17:09where guests drank champagne
0:17:09 > 0:17:14and enjoyed another royal favourite - canapes.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18What you really need at a wedding buffet are canapes...
0:17:18 > 0:17:20- Yep.- ..of course.
0:17:20 > 0:17:21What's the rule of thumb?
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Minimum of probably seven per person, for a reception.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Gosh! Well, at the royal wedding breakfast
0:17:27 > 0:17:29they have a lot more than that.
0:17:29 > 0:17:3217,000 canapes at Charles and Camilla's...
0:17:32 > 0:17:35I heard that it was 10,000 at Will and Kate's.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37Exactly. I mean, some of them...
0:17:37 > 0:17:39You know, eggs and cress sandwiches?
0:17:39 > 0:17:40That isn't very imaginative, is it?
0:17:40 > 0:17:43- I know. But who doesn't love egg and cress sandwiches? - All right, all right.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46What they did have was miniature Cornish pasties.
0:17:46 > 0:17:47He's the Duke of Cornwall, of course.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49Miniature Cornish pasties.
0:17:49 > 0:17:50Mm. What are these other two?
0:17:50 > 0:17:53Well, I believe these are from Will and Kate's wedding.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56So we have duck liver pate here with cornichons,
0:17:56 > 0:17:59and honey and wholegrain mustard glazed sausages.
0:17:59 > 0:18:00Why do they put sausages in goo?
0:18:00 > 0:18:03- Oh, everybody loves a bit of honey and mustard.- Oh, OK.
0:18:03 > 0:18:04Now what are you going to do?
0:18:04 > 0:18:06You're going to do one from Kate and William's wedding.
0:18:06 > 0:18:11Yes, I am. I'm going to do asparagus and watercress mini tartlets.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13So these are like mini little quiches.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16So the first thing that I'm going to do is make the custard.
0:18:16 > 0:18:22So, I take the watercress and put it into a blender with the cream.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26- Got to be cream.- Yes.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28And then we're just going to pulse that.
0:18:28 > 0:18:29Good British ingredient.
0:18:31 > 0:18:32Yeah, that was the thing, isn't it?
0:18:32 > 0:18:35All of these royal things these days,
0:18:35 > 0:18:37they've got to be British ingredients.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40And watercress is quintessentially British, isn't it?
0:18:40 > 0:18:42It is, yeah. But that's what people want to see.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44That's what people want to eat.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48- Yeah.- OK, so I'm going to take this off and pour this into our bowl.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51Add the blade, you know, for extra flavour.
0:18:51 > 0:18:52Yeah, yeah. A bit of iron.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55- Yeah.- Yeah.- Scrape this down.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57You don't really want to waste any of this
0:18:57 > 0:18:59cos there's a lot of flavour in here.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03- Yeah.- The delicious pepperiness that you get from watercress.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05OK.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07Let's scrape this down.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10- Yeah.- So, next what I'm going to do is add my eggs.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13- How many eggs?- It's one whole egg and one yolk.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Then I'm going to add Gruyere cheese.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18That's Gruyere for the flavour, for the bite.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22Yes. There's a lovely kind of a saltiness off the cheese,
0:19:22 > 0:19:23which is, I think, quite important.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25- A pinch of salt.- Yeah.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27I'm going to give that a little mix.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31And then just what I'm going to add to this really quickly is some sliced asparagus.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33So I'm going to add it in with this mix.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37So as opposed to me having to add it in bit by bit in stages,
0:19:37 > 0:19:38you can just do it in one go.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41- OK.- So I'm just going to slice some asparagus now.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44This is, for me, so simple.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46There's nothing complicated here.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48I mean, the hardest thing is just cutting a bit of asparagus.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Everything else is just...
0:19:50 > 0:19:52Yeah, but it wouldn't be a bit of asparagus.
0:19:52 > 0:19:53I mean, if you were doing,
0:19:53 > 0:19:56even with some other chefs, 17,000...
0:19:56 > 0:19:59- (I know.)- How long does that take?
0:19:59 > 0:20:02It takes a long time, and it's all about logistics.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04It's all about organisation.
0:20:04 > 0:20:05Because you've got...
0:20:05 > 0:20:07If you're the chef in charge of a canape party like that,
0:20:07 > 0:20:09you've got to have eyes in the back of your head.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12In what sense? It must be like a kind of industrial production line, isn't it?
0:20:12 > 0:20:16Well, yes, but you've got lots of different leaders in charge of
0:20:16 > 0:20:19lots of different things, so that all the canapes go out in one swoop,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22at the same time, because nobody wants a little trickle of them.
0:20:22 > 0:20:23It has to be like this lovely wave
0:20:23 > 0:20:26of canapes flying out of your kitchen.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28So, you know, you need to be on your A game.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31So, we're going to spoon these into our tartlets now.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35So this is just a nice, crisp short pastry that I've made,
0:20:35 > 0:20:41rolled out very thin and then baked in between two little metal moulds.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44Just spooning a nice amount of your mix in here.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46I mean, all the work is just done.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48It's just so easy.
0:20:48 > 0:20:49We're going to pop it into the oven now
0:20:49 > 0:20:51for probably about 12 minutes.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54And is there an optimum size for a canape,
0:20:54 > 0:20:57in terms of how they're handled, how they're eaten?
0:20:57 > 0:21:00Really, I think a canape should be one or two bites. That's ideal.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04Because you want to be able to, you know,
0:21:04 > 0:21:06have your drink in your hand, chat to people.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09And the bigger the canape is, the more of a meal it is,
0:21:09 > 0:21:12and it makes it more difficult to kind of just effortlessly
0:21:12 > 0:21:15- swan around and have a nice evening. - MICHAEL LAUGHS
0:21:15 > 0:21:17I think it's two, isn't it?
0:21:17 > 0:21:22I mean, all those etiquette people say it should be two bites,
0:21:22 > 0:21:25so that you haven't got your mouth full if somebody important comes along
0:21:25 > 0:21:27at the wedding reception and you need to speak to them...
0:21:27 > 0:21:30- HE MUMBLES Like that.- This is true. This is very true.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32That looks really nice, doesn't it?
0:21:32 > 0:21:34Now, I'm going to finish these off
0:21:34 > 0:21:37with a little bit of asparagus tips to go on top,
0:21:37 > 0:21:39just like that.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41That looks nice, doesn't it?
0:21:41 > 0:21:43So, you'd bake these in the oven,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46150 degrees for about 12 minutes.
0:21:46 > 0:21:47- So, not too long.- Not too long.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50No, super-quick. They don't take any length of time.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52But we already have these ready to go...
0:21:52 > 0:21:53- Ah!- ..for the final stage.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56- I'm rather glad about that. Final stage? Aren't they finished? - Final stage. No.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59So, on top I'm just going to crumble
0:21:59 > 0:22:01just a little bit of feta on top,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04and it gives it this kind of nice fresh zinginess.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06- Feta's quite sharp, isn't it?- Mm.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09- Yeah.- There's a nice acidity to a feta.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12And I think it just goes really well with asparagus and watercress.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Now, are these designed to be eaten hot or cold?
0:22:15 > 0:22:17Both. That's a very good question, actually.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19You can totally eat them hot or cold.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23- And there you have it.- Are you just putting them out for me, or...?
0:22:23 > 0:22:25Yes, they're just for you, Michael.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27- That looks rather nice.- Yeah.
0:22:27 > 0:22:28Oh, yes. Very nice.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30HE CLEARS THROAT
0:22:30 > 0:22:32Seven, come on.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35- You said seven.- There's your daily allowance of canapes.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37MICHAEL LAUGHS OK. Right.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44I should've eaten it in two, shouldn't I?
0:22:44 > 0:22:46But irresistible.
0:22:46 > 0:22:47Go on, have one. Have one. Come on.
0:22:49 > 0:22:50Mm!
0:22:51 > 0:22:52- You did it the proper way.- Mm.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55- Delicious.- Really good.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58Perfect for a picnic, perfect for a wedding.
0:22:58 > 0:22:59Absolutely. What a winner.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04Dainty delights for a lunchtime wedding buffet.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09And these ingredients really are Britain on a plate -
0:23:09 > 0:23:11asparagus and watercress and...
0:23:13 > 0:23:17British lobster is another popular choice for a royal wedding breakfast.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19Delicious, versatile and what's more,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22they're amongst the tastiest in the world,
0:23:22 > 0:23:24as Paul Ainsworth has been finding out.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32Padstow in Cornwall has a long tradition of lobster potting.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35It's home to a small fleet of fishing boats
0:23:35 > 0:23:36and to chef Paul.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42British lobster is world-class and it tastes delicious.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46And I am so lucky in Cornwall I've got it right here on my doorstep.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50Local fisherman Johnny Murt has been working these waters
0:23:50 > 0:23:53his whole life...
0:23:53 > 0:23:54- All right, Johnny?- All right, Paul.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56- How are you, mate?- Very good. Yourself?- Yeah, very good.
0:23:56 > 0:24:01..and he knows just how to source the very best Cornish crustaceans.
0:24:05 > 0:24:06So, Johnny, I can see straightaway
0:24:06 > 0:24:09they're exactly how I'd love to buy lobsters, that sort of size.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11- They are crackers.- There you go.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Absolutely beautiful.
0:24:13 > 0:24:18It wasn't always this prestigious ingredient that it is now, was it?
0:24:18 > 0:24:20Yeah. Certainly on the other side of the Atlantic,
0:24:20 > 0:24:22the American lobster,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25100 years ago, they were rioting in prisons for being fed lobster
0:24:25 > 0:24:28three times in one week. Absolute trash food.
0:24:28 > 0:24:29Our British native lobsters,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32especially beautiful Cornish lobsters,
0:24:32 > 0:24:34they are far superior, for me,
0:24:34 > 0:24:36than the Canadian and the American lobster.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40We've got a fantastic resource in this country, all around the coast.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44I don't think we should be importing an inferior product.
0:24:44 > 0:24:45No.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47The modern royal family are all about protecting
0:24:47 > 0:24:49as well as showcasing the best of British.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52Prince Philip is a huge supporter of the shellfish industry,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55and met Johnny in 2014.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57So, Johnny, what was Prince Philip like?
0:24:57 > 0:24:58He's a lovely chap.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01Yeah, he was really amusing, very friendly.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04And the thing that myself and the other fishermen got out of it was
0:25:04 > 0:25:07he knew so much about sustainable fishing.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09Yeah, he really, really knew his stuff.
0:25:09 > 0:25:10He had a tour of the hatchery...
0:25:10 > 0:25:11Yeah.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14I hear he adopted a baby lobster for Prince George.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16- Really?- Yeah.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18So there is a Cornish lobster then
0:25:18 > 0:25:22maybe in the sea right now with royal credentials.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24Possibly, yeah.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Yeah, it would be a valuable lobster to catch if we could identify it.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28- PAUL LAUGHS - Yeah, definitely.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33Paul knows Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and Princess Anne.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37Each chose an exquisite lobster dish for their weddings.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39But he's got a slightly simpler recipe.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42Today, we're going to cook Cornish lobster on top of
0:25:42 > 0:25:43a toasted English muffin,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46caper butter, delicious poached egg,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49and some beautiful dressed watercress.
0:25:49 > 0:25:50Right, let's get cracking.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52Now, our lobster is out the shell,
0:25:52 > 0:25:54I've got a pan on warming.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Meanwhile, I'm just quickly going to make this delicious butter,
0:25:57 > 0:26:00and in it we're going to add some capers, some gherkin...
0:26:03 > 0:26:05..some shallot,
0:26:05 > 0:26:06a spoonful of mustard.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10We're just going to take some parsley..
0:26:13 > 0:26:15..seasoning..
0:26:17 > 0:26:18..and now very gently
0:26:18 > 0:26:21we're just going to mix all those ingredients together.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24Absolutely delicious.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29We've made our butter, now we're going to roast our lobster.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31Butter in the pan...
0:26:32 > 0:26:34..straight in...like that.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37We're just going to baste that lovely nut-brown butter
0:26:37 > 0:26:41and just cook nice and slowly, not too fast.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Now, lobster in the royal household is very popular
0:26:44 > 0:26:45and in a lot of recipes
0:26:45 > 0:26:48and been served at a lot of banquets and weddings.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50In particular in 1973,
0:26:50 > 0:26:53I know that Princess Anne had lobster and partridge at her wedding.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55Very posh.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57We're just going to pull that off to the side now
0:26:57 > 0:26:59and just let it rest in the pan.
0:26:59 > 0:27:00So, poached eggs.
0:27:00 > 0:27:01We've got our eggs ready in the bowl.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03Beautiful. Good stir.
0:27:04 > 0:27:09Paul poaches the eggs and toasts an English muffin.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11OK, we're moments away from plating up.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Muffins are lovely and crispy out the toaster.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16Our shallot butter that we made earlier,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19just over those lovely hot crispy muffins.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21Let it melt right in.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23Now our lobster.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25Claw, just in half,
0:27:25 > 0:27:26this lovely tail.
0:27:28 > 0:27:33And you can see in the middle it's just slightly transparent,
0:27:33 > 0:27:37which means it's beautifully cooked, resting it on the muffin...
0:27:37 > 0:27:39just like that.
0:27:39 > 0:27:40Out with our eggs,
0:27:40 > 0:27:42just on top of that lovely lobster.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45Next, add more of the lobster.
0:27:47 > 0:27:48Watercress.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50Just look at this.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53We just finish it with this lovely butter.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55And that right there...
0:27:55 > 0:27:57that's what Great Britain is all about -
0:27:57 > 0:28:00English watercress, Cornish lobster, Cornish eggs,
0:28:00 > 0:28:04a beautiful English toasted muffin with some lovely caper butter.
0:28:04 > 0:28:05It doesn't get any better than that.
0:28:05 > 0:28:10For me, what a fitting way to treat such a prestigious ingredient
0:28:10 > 0:28:11such as lobster.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17Only the very best will do for a royal wedding,
0:28:17 > 0:28:19and for the team of 20 royal chefs behind the scenes
0:28:19 > 0:28:21at the royal palaces,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24it's one of the most challenging of regal occasions.
0:28:26 > 0:28:27This is Darren McGrady,
0:28:27 > 0:28:32who worked as a chef in the royal kitchens from 1982 until 1997.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34Chef for the Queen, Prince Philip,
0:28:34 > 0:28:35and later for Princess Diana.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37The period when there were two royal weddings, I think,
0:28:37 > 0:28:40but you were outside Princess Diana's, weren't you?
0:28:40 > 0:28:41You were part of the crowd.
0:28:41 > 0:28:45But for Prince Andrew, you were cheffing then.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48- I was.- How big an operation was it for the royal kitchens?
0:28:48 > 0:28:50It was a huge operation.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53You know, people think it's just preparing that wedding breakfast,
0:28:53 > 0:28:56but it's not. You have everyone that's staying at the palace,
0:28:56 > 0:28:59all of the staff need feeding, so you have 300 staff to feed,
0:28:59 > 0:29:02as well as preparing the wedding breakfast
0:29:02 > 0:29:04and the cake ceremony and everything.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08Andrew and Sarah's wedding, how did the day go?
0:29:08 > 0:29:10What were you and the other chefs cooking
0:29:10 > 0:29:13and who for at different times of the day?
0:29:13 > 0:29:15Well, the day starts at six o'clock in the morning,
0:29:15 > 0:29:18and for the chefs you've got staff to look after.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21So there's breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 300 people,
0:29:21 > 0:29:23just to begin with.
0:29:23 > 0:29:25And then you have all of the guests,
0:29:25 > 0:29:27or a lot of the guests staying with Her Majesty,
0:29:27 > 0:29:29so they need breakfast trays,
0:29:29 > 0:29:31the ladies' trays in their room,
0:29:31 > 0:29:33the gentleman all come down for breakfast.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35So all that needs serving and preparing.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37And then, of course, there's the canapes
0:29:37 > 0:29:40and the appetisers, and then the wedding breakfast.
0:29:40 > 0:29:42And then to sort of end that,
0:29:42 > 0:29:44there's actually the cutting of the cake ceremony.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47You must have been working at absolute full throttle.
0:29:47 > 0:29:49It was a long day.
0:29:49 > 0:29:50It was a really busy day,
0:29:50 > 0:29:52but everyone sort of felt part of the royal wedding.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54You felt part of it
0:29:54 > 0:29:55and just wanted to be there.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58The centrepiece of any wedding is the cake, isn't it?
0:29:58 > 0:30:01And particularly for royal weddings because in the past at least,
0:30:01 > 0:30:03the size of the cake was meant to indicate
0:30:03 > 0:30:05the importance of the occasion.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08It was. I mean, they used to be nine-foot high
0:30:08 > 0:30:10and weighing 800 pounds.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13But Prince Andrew's was only five tiers.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15And we didn't make those cakes,
0:30:15 > 0:30:16we didn't make the royal cakes.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19Tradition was the sort of army, the navy, the air force,
0:30:19 > 0:30:20would make them.
0:30:20 > 0:30:25And Prince Andrew's wedding cake was actually delivered to the palace,
0:30:25 > 0:30:27each individual tier, in a separate track,
0:30:27 > 0:30:29just in case there was an accident.
0:30:31 > 0:30:32So the whole cake wasn't wiped out.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36So they didn't have to make the whole cake all over again. Yes.
0:30:36 > 0:30:38But at the end of it, you must be been knackered.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41You're absolutely tired out and you can't wait for them to go off on honeymoon.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43And when Andrew and Sarah got married,
0:30:43 > 0:30:45we were actually invited out into the forecourt
0:30:45 > 0:30:48to wave them off and it was, "Good, go, we need a break."
0:30:50 > 0:30:52Darren McGrady, thanks very much.
0:30:52 > 0:30:53My pleasure.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57When it came to the cake ceremony at the most recent royal wedding,
0:30:57 > 0:30:59there were two to choose from.
0:31:00 > 0:31:01Not only the official cake,
0:31:01 > 0:31:03but an alternative chosen by Prince William
0:31:03 > 0:31:06because it brought back such happy childhood memories.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10It was the chocolate biscuit cake.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18And the woman who knows how to make the cake is former chef
0:31:18 > 0:31:20to Charles and Diana, Carolyn Robb.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24Prince William was seven and his brother Harry four
0:31:24 > 0:31:28when Carolyn started working for the royal family.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31The biscuit cake was such a hit with the young princes,
0:31:31 > 0:31:34William decided he had to have it at his wedding.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38Today, I'm going to make chocolate biscuit cake,
0:31:38 > 0:31:40which is a real favourite of mine.
0:31:40 > 0:31:42I loved making it with my mum when I was little,
0:31:42 > 0:31:44and when I cooked for Prince William and Prince Harry
0:31:44 > 0:31:45when they were small,
0:31:45 > 0:31:47I really enjoyed making it with them.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50And today, I'm going to have fun doing it with Mandy, my daughter.
0:31:52 > 0:31:57This version isn't quite on the scale of the one made for William's wedding.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00The first step is melting butter, chocolate drops, cocoa powder,
0:32:00 > 0:32:03golden syrup and vanilla.
0:32:03 > 0:32:04Now comes the fun bit.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06This is the bit Mandy's been waiting for, isn't it?
0:32:06 > 0:32:08You get to help me break the biscuits.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10Really simple, we have some big chunky bits,
0:32:10 > 0:32:12you can have some broken quite finely.
0:32:12 > 0:32:14It'll work however you do it.
0:32:14 > 0:32:19The royal wedding version contained a staggering 1,700 biscuits.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22Just a bit larger than the one William liked to help make.
0:32:22 > 0:32:24When Prince William and Prince Harry were small,
0:32:24 > 0:32:27they used to enjoy coming into the kitchen and we'd bake things together.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29They loved breaking the biscuits and we always used to think of
0:32:29 > 0:32:32different things we could mix into the biscuits as well.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34One more biscuit to go.
0:32:34 > 0:32:35Just give this a good mix.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38Quite good to get the biscuits mixed in first,
0:32:38 > 0:32:40that cools the chocolate down.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43Next, Carolyn adds chopped apricots,
0:32:43 > 0:32:45marshmallows and chocolate chunks.
0:32:45 > 0:32:46Right, I think that's mixed now.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49Now we're going to spoon it into here.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52As you can see, it's still quite chunky, which is absolutely fine,
0:32:52 > 0:32:54and you just want to press it down really well.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57This recipe is so simple,
0:32:57 > 0:33:00anyone and everyone really can make it.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03All I'm going to do is neatly cover over the top like that,
0:33:03 > 0:33:04and that now goes in the fridge.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13As the cake is left to set, Carolyn starts the glaze,
0:33:13 > 0:33:16which is made of chocolate and butter.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20All I have done here is melt some dark chocolate
0:33:20 > 0:33:22and I have some softened butter here,
0:33:22 > 0:33:25which I'm going to pop in with the chocolate
0:33:25 > 0:33:27and just mix the two together.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31When Prince William and Harry were small,
0:33:31 > 0:33:34there were quite a few regular treats that we made together.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36Little individual cupcakes were always a favourite,
0:33:36 > 0:33:38special little meringue animals.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41These little tiny treacle tarts we have here,
0:33:41 > 0:33:43they were Prince Harry's favourites,
0:33:43 > 0:33:45so I used to make little tiny ones,
0:33:45 > 0:33:49just this size, the size of a 50p piece, and on one occasion,
0:33:49 > 0:33:51he came into the kitchen to ask me for one,
0:33:51 > 0:33:54so I suggested that he should go and ask his mother and he scampered off
0:33:54 > 0:33:56and came back a few minutes later
0:33:56 > 0:33:58with a wonderful little piece of paper
0:33:58 > 0:34:01on which Princess Diana had written, "Mummy says it's OK."
0:34:01 > 0:34:05She was such a wonderful mother and had such an amazing sense of humour
0:34:05 > 0:34:08and it was very clear that they absolutely adored her,
0:34:08 > 0:34:11so that's a note that I've always kept and treasured.
0:34:11 > 0:34:15Carolyn spent 13 years working for the royal household,
0:34:15 > 0:34:18preparing plenty of traditional home-cooked dishes.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21But it's the chocolate treats that children remember.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23Right, try not to leave any gaps.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25And once you've done that, really, the world's your oyster
0:34:25 > 0:34:27as to what you do next.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29Mandy and I are going to do this together.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32Mum, are we doing a castle?
0:34:32 > 0:34:34It's a bit like a castle, isn't it?
0:34:34 > 0:34:38And this is where children can let their imaginations run free as well.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41I think that's enough.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44Next I'm going to get my chocolate piping bag.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46This is all very informal.
0:34:46 > 0:34:47I'm not going to do anything fancy,
0:34:47 > 0:34:50just some lines, back and forth.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53Then it's time for a few finishing touches.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56I think that's about enough decoration for one cake.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58This is a real chocolate extravaganza.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10Chocolate has always been a royal favourite,
0:35:10 > 0:35:12and many recipes were recorded over 100 years ago
0:35:12 > 0:35:16by Buckingham Palace kitchen maid Mildred Nicholls in her recipe book.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20There are puddings for weddings and even wedding anniversaries,
0:35:20 > 0:35:22including...
0:35:25 > 0:35:28Hey, Anna, look at this. This is Mildred Nicholls' recipe book.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31She was a kitchen maid, pastry chef,
0:35:31 > 0:35:34in Buckingham Palace in the early years of the 1900s.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38But this recipe is a particularly poignant one.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40It goes back to the days of Queen Victoria,
0:35:40 > 0:35:43who you will remember was married to Prince Albert.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45Yeah, and they were very much in love.
0:35:45 > 0:35:49Very much in love, but he died at the age of 42, very early.
0:35:49 > 0:35:51But every year after that,
0:35:51 > 0:35:55Queen Victoria insisted on marking their wedding anniversary
0:35:55 > 0:35:56with a big dinner.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59And this recipe in Mildred's book comes from
0:35:59 > 0:36:03the 57th anniversary dinner of their wedding.
0:36:03 > 0:36:04He'd been dead a long time.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08And it's called Pouding Sax Weimar.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10And you are going to do...
0:36:10 > 0:36:12- I'm going to do...- Mildred's...
0:36:12 > 0:36:13- Recipe.- ..recipe out of the book.- Exactly.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16I've never seen a pudding like this before.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19It's kind of like a mix between a kind of souffle
0:36:19 > 0:36:22and a sponge and even an odd kind of nod to tiramisu.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24Like, if I put a little bit of coffee in this now,
0:36:24 > 0:36:26you'd feel like it would be a tiramisuey flavour.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28So, first of all,
0:36:28 > 0:36:29what I'm going to do is the first step
0:36:29 > 0:36:31is going to be to whisk my egg whites.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34I'm going to put in my sugar and bring them to
0:36:34 > 0:36:36nice kind of stiff peaks.
0:36:36 > 0:36:37Right.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40OK.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42Stiff peaks is what you're looking for, is it?
0:36:42 > 0:36:45- That's it.- So, this is ahead of its time, you reckon, this dish?
0:36:45 > 0:36:48Well, yeah, I think it is really quite unique.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51It's the idea that we don't have flour in this,
0:36:51 > 0:36:54that we've actually got these finger biscuits
0:36:54 > 0:36:56that have been put into a food processor.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58Even if you give them a little smell...
0:36:58 > 0:37:00- Yes, please.- ..you'll see, you can imagine
0:37:00 > 0:37:02the difference between that and just flour.
0:37:02 > 0:37:03- Oh, yeah.- There's no comparison.- Yep.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06It's like an extra, extra flavour in it.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09That's where that kind of tiramisu feeling comes from.
0:37:09 > 0:37:11So, these are almost done.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13It's rather like the start of a souffle, isn't it?
0:37:13 > 0:37:16Well, exactly, that's it. It is quite similar to a souffle.
0:37:16 > 0:37:20So this is just some butter and sugar creamed together.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23- Yeah.- And into this I'm going to add...
0:37:23 > 0:37:26And I think this is another thing that makes the recipe quite unique,
0:37:26 > 0:37:28I'm going to add the grated chocolate into it.
0:37:28 > 0:37:33But it never kind of breaks down and it stays like whole little kind of
0:37:33 > 0:37:37pockets of chocolate deliciousness, once it's cooked.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39- So...- So it doesn't completely lose itself in the sauce?
0:37:39 > 0:37:41No. So it stays kind of separate.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44You'll know what I'm talking about when you get to try it.
0:37:44 > 0:37:45I will, I will, I will.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47OK, so I'm going to add the chocolate in...
0:37:50 > 0:37:51..then my eggs.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54And actually, could you crack me one whole egg there?
0:37:54 > 0:37:56- I can do that.- Thank you.
0:37:56 > 0:37:57- Here we go.- Very helpful.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00There we go. What am I doing?
0:38:00 > 0:38:02- And then straight in.- In here?- Yeah.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06- Lovely. Perfect.- I did that rather well, don't you think? You're a natural. Yeah.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08This is a really rich pudding...
0:38:08 > 0:38:12- Yeah.- ..and when you think what else they had at that dinner.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16"Potage a la cressy, potage..."
0:38:16 > 0:38:17There's two soups.
0:38:17 > 0:38:22"Quenelles, le saumon en tranches sauce persil."
0:38:22 > 0:38:26So, they had salmon and sole and ham and lamb...
0:38:26 > 0:38:29- Unbelievable!- ..and artichokes.
0:38:29 > 0:38:30All these things.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33And on the side, just in case they were a bit peckish,
0:38:33 > 0:38:36they had hot and cold roast fowls, cold beef and salad on the side...
0:38:36 > 0:38:38- They must have... - ..before they got to the puddings.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40They must have starved themselves for a week before it.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42I think not, somehow.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45Oh, yes. You can see the bits of chocolate in there.
0:38:45 > 0:38:46You can see the bits of chocolate.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49And then very similar to when you would be making a souffle,
0:38:49 > 0:38:51I'm just going to take a spoon of the egg white
0:38:51 > 0:38:54and I'm just going to kind of beat that in to kind of
0:38:54 > 0:38:58lighten up this mix, because it is kind of heavyish.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01And then you finish with the biggest dollop at the end.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04- OK.- Now, this is a professional technique, is it?
0:39:04 > 0:39:08So this creates a lovely, light, light, moist pudding.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11And the fact that we cook it in a tray with some water
0:39:11 > 0:39:14and it's kind of like semi-steamed in the oven...
0:39:14 > 0:39:19- Yeah.- ..creates a really moist, delicious, special, unique cake.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22Because it's been folded gently and then it gets cooked gently.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24Yep. Exactly.
0:39:24 > 0:39:25It was a big dinner, this.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28All those courses, and indeed all the royal family were there
0:39:28 > 0:39:30at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.
0:39:30 > 0:39:34All the family except, of course, her eldest son,
0:39:34 > 0:39:36who was to become Edward VII,
0:39:36 > 0:39:38who, needless to say, was at the theatre,
0:39:38 > 0:39:41ANNA GASPS possibly with one of his ladies,
0:39:41 > 0:39:42- but I don't know.- Scandalous.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45I'm going to pop this into a piping bag
0:39:45 > 0:39:49so that I can pipe it evenly into each one of the pots.
0:39:49 > 0:39:50- Fill it all up.- That's it,
0:39:50 > 0:39:52- all of it.- It looks rich, it looks gooey,
0:39:52 > 0:39:54it's wonderfully speckled with chocolate.
0:39:54 > 0:39:55That's it.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58And then with a little snip of the scissors...
0:39:58 > 0:39:59Yeah.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02- Then to pipe in.- Yeah.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04So, you don't want to fill it up all the way,
0:40:04 > 0:40:08you just want to kind of leave just a quarter of it free.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11- Why?- This way it's got space to rise up.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13- Right.- And it will rise above the mould as well.
0:40:13 > 0:40:14Oh, will it? Oh, right.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17- That's going to look really impressive, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:40:17 > 0:40:18Overlaps it.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21Yeah. So you can service pudding cold or warm.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24I do think it is particularly nice warm.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26Yeah, those little pots are lined with something, aren't they?
0:40:26 > 0:40:28Yes, they're buttered.
0:40:28 > 0:40:29Well spotted there, Michael.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31- No flies on you. - Nothing gets past me. No.
0:40:31 > 0:40:35They're brushed with some butter and then some sugar is rolled around them as well.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39Cook these in a tray with some hot water in it,
0:40:39 > 0:40:42at 180 degrees for 25 minutes.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45Now, you are going to take this to the oven...
0:40:45 > 0:40:48- I shall.- ..and you will find some that I've already made
0:40:48 > 0:40:50from earlier on and bring them back. Thanks.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52- They're safe with me. - OK.- Here we go.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58Ho-ho-ho-ho!
0:41:00 > 0:41:03Oh, Anna, look at these little babies.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06- They have risen the way you said they would.- Yes.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08- There we go.- They look perfect.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11- There we go.- OK, so, I'm going to make the chocolate sauce.
0:41:11 > 0:41:13Now, this chocolate sauce is foolproof.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16It's so easy. You have your water,
0:41:16 > 0:41:20put it onto a nice high heat and all you add is your sugar...
0:41:20 > 0:41:21Yeah.
0:41:23 > 0:41:24..your cocoa powder...
0:41:25 > 0:41:27Yeah.
0:41:27 > 0:41:29..and the trickiest bit of all, add your chocolate...
0:41:29 > 0:41:31MICHAEL LAUGHS
0:41:31 > 0:41:33..and then you just bring it up to the boil,
0:41:33 > 0:41:35and then you have a lovely glossy chocolate sauce.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37As simple as that?
0:41:37 > 0:41:38Simple as that.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42Instant. Well, almost instant.
0:41:42 > 0:41:44- Almost instant.- Yeah.- OK.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48OK.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50Just pour some of our chocolate sauce in there.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53- That chocolate sauce was really quick and easy, wasn't it?- Mm.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55Shiny and glossy and...
0:41:55 > 0:41:57- Let's have a sniff.- ..chocolaty.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59- OK, come on.- Let's see what they look like.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02This is the part that us chefs often get very nervous about.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05I bet. But it's not going to stick, is it?
0:42:05 > 0:42:07You've put butter on the inside.
0:42:07 > 0:42:13- Isn't that going to make sure...? - Hopefully not, Michael.- OK.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15- Oh, wow!- Beautiful.
0:42:15 > 0:42:16Look at that.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18A bit of chocolate on the top.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24Oh! Take a look at that.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27- So...- Here we have it -
0:42:27 > 0:42:30- Pouding Sax Weimar.- Oh, Yes.
0:42:30 > 0:42:31Now, you do it first,
0:42:31 > 0:42:33I don't want to ruin the confection.
0:42:33 > 0:42:34OK.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39- Is it done, is it just right? - Yes, it looks beautiful.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43- Excellent.- Mm!
0:42:44 > 0:42:46Get some of that lovely chocolate sauce...
0:42:46 > 0:42:48I seem to have got a bigger piece than yours.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51It really is... I've never tasted anything like it.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53- It is very unique.- Mm!
0:42:55 > 0:42:58Oh!
0:42:58 > 0:43:00Oh, yeah...
0:43:00 > 0:43:02It's light, though, isn't it?
0:43:02 > 0:43:06It's light, the lovely little secret pockets of chocolate in there,
0:43:06 > 0:43:08finished with the chocolate sauce.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10Yeah, it's nice to remember Prince Albert, I suppose.
0:43:10 > 0:43:12Oh, that pulls on your heartstrings.
0:43:12 > 0:43:14It does a bit, yeah.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17A pudding with a story of love and loss
0:43:17 > 0:43:20to end this programme about the food for royal weddings.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22See you next time.