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...
0:00:47 > 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 > 0:03:23Cut up to about the sort of size of your small fingernail.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26- You've got a poncey name for that, haven't you?- Mirepoix.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28- Mirepoix.- Mirepoix.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30So we've got some garlic in there, grated,
0:03:30 > 0:03:32and we're just going to add some thyme as well.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34We're just going to get the thyme in there,
0:03:34 > 0:03:36- which is beautiful.- That's really herby, isn't it?
0:03:40 > 0:03:42So we've got our delicious vegetables.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44Garlic, thyme.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47- OK. We're going to add a little pinch of cracked black pepper... - Yeah.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50..which is delicious. And a little bit of seasoning at this stage.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53- That seasoning's going to really bring out the flavour of the vegetables.- Yeah.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56- Next, we've got our mushroom ketchup.- Let me have a sniff.
0:03:56 > 0:03:57It's delicious stuff.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00- It does smell like Worcestershire sauce.- It is. It's very similar.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02Very similar. So a nice glug of that.
0:04:02 > 0:04:03Now, we turn up the heat.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09We've got that in there. We're just going to reduce that down, Michael.
0:04:09 > 0:04:10While that's reducing,
0:04:10 > 0:04:14something that's really old-fashioned is browning the flour.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18- Oh!- So you've seen flour go into the base of things,
0:04:18 > 0:04:20- to kind of thicken it and stuff? - Yeah.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23And A lot of flour you see going into recipes these days is just
0:04:23 > 0:04:26the white flour chucked in. By browning it, you're toasting it.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29- So you get that lovely, wonderful, toasted flavour.- Yeah.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31But also, as well, we're making a dark sauce.
0:04:31 > 0:04:32So we're kind of halfway there.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35- Yeah.- All right? Now, we're going to add in our flour.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40That's just going to mix with those vegetables and that lovely,
0:04:40 > 0:04:41reduced mushroom ketchup.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44And that's the base. That's our sauce thickener.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46Real sort of classical cooking here.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49You see all those lovely flavours have come together.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53Now, it's just kind of made... This is what we call like a roux, basically.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Now, we add in our lovely, browned mince.
0:04:57 > 0:04:58OK. This is beef shin.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00Yeah. Because this is cottage pie.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03- Absolutely.- If it were shepherd's pie, it'd be lamb.- Lamb, yeah.
0:05:03 > 0:05:04And we're using the shin.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06- Full of flavour.- Lots of flavour?
0:05:06 > 0:05:08Minced down. That's just been, again,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11- roasted down so we've rendered that fat off.- Yeah.- In we go.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14- Like so.- Yeah.- OK?
0:05:15 > 0:05:18The royal children, of course, at least in the past,
0:05:18 > 0:05:20never used to eat with their parents, did they?
0:05:20 > 0:05:22They ate in the nursery with the governess.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Right, OK. Yeah.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26Certainly, Anne and Charles used to have tea, I think,
0:05:26 > 0:05:29at half past four and supper at seven o'clock.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31You know, things like sausages and baked beans, fruit and custard.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33Sounds a hard life, doesn't it?
0:05:33 > 0:05:35Well, a lot of royals in the past, I think,
0:05:35 > 0:05:37have loved nursery food all their lives.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39- Yeah.- Yeah.- Right.
0:05:39 > 0:05:40Now, we're adding in our beef stock.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42SIZZLING
0:05:42 > 0:05:44And go easy. Don't drown it.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48Just covering, like that.
0:05:48 > 0:05:49We don't want it too sloppy?
0:05:49 > 0:05:52We don't. We want it to thicken nicely.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56We want that really lovely flavour coming through from the mince,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59our vegetables, the garlic, the thyme, and so on.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03So even though it's children's food in a sense, it's nursery food,
0:06:03 > 0:06:04it's not bland, is it?
0:06:04 > 0:06:07- It's not at all. Not when you make it like this.- No.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09- OK. A little taste...- Yeah.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11..before it goes into the oven.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Checking for seasoning, and if it needs a little bit more of
0:06:13 > 0:06:17the mushroom ketchup. That gives a wonderful acidity and savouriness.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21Seasoning. Because, at that point, season food through the stages,
0:06:21 > 0:06:23not just at the end when it's on the table.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25You shouldn't need salt and pepper when it's on the table
0:06:25 > 0:06:28if you've cooked properly. So this one's going to go into the oven.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31- Yep.- And here we have a mix that's come out the oven.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33Look at that! All right?
0:06:33 > 0:06:37And that is just rich, reduced.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40And by toasting that flour, it's become nice and dark.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42We're going to transfer this now
0:06:42 > 0:06:46into our pot. So, just like so.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Stand back. I wouldn't want to splash your jumper, Michael.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51- In we go.- I've only got the one!
0:06:55 > 0:06:58- You can have one of mine.- No, thank you.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03- This is Prince William's favourite, or was Prince William's favourite. - Yeah.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Some of the other royals, when they were children,
0:07:06 > 0:07:08had...had, you know, really quite... I was about to say common taste.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12Princess Anne, apparently, used to love having fish and chips,
0:07:12 > 0:07:14traditional-style, out a newspaper.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Right, OK. That's the only way to have fish and chips.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19There's something nostalgic about that.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21- Right.- Mashed potato? - Mashed potato. OK.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Any tricks with the mashed potato? It looks super-smooth.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28Using a potato like a Desiree or King Edwards potatoes.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31- Just a really good mashing potato. - Yeah.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34OK. Now, we're just going to very...
0:07:34 > 0:07:37We're not doing it in a piping bag, we're not getting fancy with it,
0:07:37 > 0:07:41- we're just spooning it on. - Sloshing it on.- Yeah, sloshing it on like that.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45You know what I love, is when it comes up the sides
0:07:45 > 0:07:49and it boils over a bit and you've got the potato mixes...
0:07:52 > 0:07:54..with that lovely mince mix.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57- OK.- Wow.- Right, OK.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59So you see we've got it like that?
0:07:59 > 0:08:02- Now, you're going to smooth it out a bit?- We're going to take our fork.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04And this here, there's a reason for this, right?
0:08:04 > 0:08:06My dad used to do this.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09I always... And now I see why.
0:08:09 > 0:08:10Smooth it over like that.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13- You see where we're making the lines...- Yeah.
0:08:13 > 0:08:14They're all now those individual lines -
0:08:14 > 0:08:16they catch under the grill.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18- And they get crusty.- And that's what gets crusty.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20- If you just didn't do that, it wouldn't...- Yeah.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23You wouldn't get those spiky, crispy bits, which are delicious.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26So we're finishing it with a wonderful English cheese,
0:08:26 > 0:08:28very much like Parmesan, called Berkswell.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Absolutely delicious, beautiful British cheese.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33Right, cheese on. And that is ready for the oven.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35Half an hour at about 180 degrees,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38and then just finish under the grill
0:08:38 > 0:08:40so you get all those lovely, crispy bits.
0:08:40 > 0:08:41The cheese will be bubbling.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43- Beautiful!- Little crusty, brown bits.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45I've got one out there - would you mind getting it for me?
0:08:45 > 0:08:46THEY LAUGH
0:08:50 > 0:08:51MICHAEL GROANS
0:08:51 > 0:08:53This is really, really heavy.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57- And it smells sensational. - That is sensational, isn't it?
0:08:57 > 0:08:59- Let's dish up.- Absolutely. - Let's dish up.
0:08:59 > 0:09:00- Don't hold back.- Wow!
0:09:00 > 0:09:02Wow! Right.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05- (OK.)- Oh, I say.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07I'm going to go in like that.
0:09:09 > 0:09:14- Oh, that looks good.- Then, some more of that beautiful, rich mix.- Mm-hm.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17Oh, I say!
0:09:17 > 0:09:19This is proper comfort food.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21You see what Prince William means now.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23- Then you've got that crispy cheese on top.- Yep.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25And just a little extra.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27Just a bit more of it.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Like that.
0:09:29 > 0:09:30I can't get enough of the cheese.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32- Absolutely delicious. - MICHAEL LAUGHS
0:09:32 > 0:09:34- There we are, Michael.- OK.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36- Cottage pie...- Give me a fork.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38- ..for you.- The gold one.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40- Yes, of course.- There's a plastic one there for you.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42I've got a plastic one here, yeah.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44OK, here we go.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46I'm going to have a bit of both.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48There we go.
0:09:48 > 0:09:49- Some of your cheese.- Yeah.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Mm.
0:09:56 > 0:09:57Mm. Mm-hm. I didn't get any of the...
0:09:57 > 0:10:01- Nicely seasoned as well with the mushroom ketchup.- Yeah.
0:10:01 > 0:10:02Just... And the cheese.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04- Beautiful, soft potatoes.- Yeah.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06- Fantastic.- This is real...
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Well, it's nursery food, but...
0:10:08 > 0:10:09Mm.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15- It takes me back.- If that's nursery food, then I love nursery food.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17It makes me feel like a child again.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19And it takes a lot to do that, I tell you.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22- Fantastic. Glad you're enjoying it. - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24Here we go.
0:10:24 > 0:10:25Mm!
0:10:27 > 0:10:29A comforting taste of childhood.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33Historically, royal children have always had their own chefs,
0:10:33 > 0:10:35and some even had their very own kitchen to play in.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41Historian Dr Annie Gray is at Osborne House,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44where one royal couple created a pint-sized paradise
0:10:44 > 0:10:49to give their nine children a taste of real, rather than royal, life.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52Victorian children were supposed to be seen and not heard.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56That's if they survived childhood at all, which was by no means a given.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59So you might be forgiven for thinking that Victoria's children
0:10:59 > 0:11:02didn't have the most fun time.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05But here in the grounds of Victoria and Albert's private residence
0:11:05 > 0:11:08at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11deep in the woods lurks something to help change your mind.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14And this is it -
0:11:14 > 0:11:16a traditional, wooden, Swiss cottage
0:11:16 > 0:11:20commissioned by Victoria and Albert and built in 1854.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24This idyllic childhood retreat was the ultimate playhouse,
0:11:24 > 0:11:26and a practical one at that.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30A place for the children to learn how to grow food as well as cook it.
0:11:30 > 0:11:35In 1850, Victoria and Albert had a set of vegetable gardens
0:11:35 > 0:11:36constructed for the royal children.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40Here, they used to come and use their miniature wheelbarrows
0:11:40 > 0:11:43and miniature sets of tools to grow fruit and vegetables,
0:11:43 > 0:11:47which they then sold on to their father, Prince Albert, at market price.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50They were helped by the caretaker here, Mr Warne.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53The children looked back as adults on their gardens very, very fondly,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56and it's clear that they absolutely loved coming here,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59playing in the gardens, growing everything,
0:11:59 > 0:12:01and eating everything as well.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04These gardens really were a little slice of paradise.
0:12:05 > 0:12:10The Swiss cottage style was very fashionable in mid-19th century gardens.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13But this house was all about the children,
0:12:13 > 0:12:15and was even built to 3/4 scale.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18The kitchen here was kitted out by all the finest suppliers -
0:12:18 > 0:12:23the same people that supplied the copper and the iron and the
0:12:23 > 0:12:27wood to Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle kitchens as well.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29So why did the royal children learn to cook?
0:12:29 > 0:12:32Clearly, they were never going to have to actually cook for themselves.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35They were expected to marry into the royal families of Europe,
0:12:35 > 0:12:37or perhaps the aristocracy.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39But that wasn't the point.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43Not only was this an idealised version of the childhood that
0:12:43 > 0:12:45Victoria never had, but the cooking and the gardening
0:12:45 > 0:12:48and the playing with toy shops all had a purpose.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52It kept the children grounded in reality and it made sure that,
0:12:52 > 0:12:54when they were controlling servants of their own,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57they would know what should be going on inside the kitchens and the
0:12:57 > 0:12:59gardens that they ruled over,
0:12:59 > 0:13:02so that they could better control their own servants.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06The idea of royal domestic training was very unusual at the time.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10But Victoria and Albert were determined to keep the children
0:13:10 > 0:13:11in touch with reality.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15By the late 1850s, the children had settled into a fairly set routine.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19They would come down to Swiss Cottage every day and cook -
0:13:19 > 0:13:20either tea or lunch -
0:13:20 > 0:13:23and sometimes their mother and her ladies would join them,
0:13:23 > 0:13:25eating whatever they'd prepared.
0:13:25 > 0:13:26For birthday parties,
0:13:26 > 0:13:30the house would be decked out with bunting and they'd cook
0:13:30 > 0:13:32birthday cakes for each other and celebrate.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37There's remarkably little record of what was actually cooked here.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39A few mentions in journals and diaries.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43Something, for example, like a simple sponge cake.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46In this case, the original Victoria sandwich.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49Today, we think of a Victoria sponge sandwich
0:13:49 > 0:13:52as one large, usually round cake, chopped in two,
0:13:52 > 0:13:56spread with raspberry or strawberry jam and then a layer of cream.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59But the original Victoria sponge was more like a finger sandwich
0:13:59 > 0:14:03made of fatless sponge cut up to look like white bread and
0:14:03 > 0:14:07spread with jam made from fruit from the children's own garden.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09The children were usually cooking for each other,
0:14:09 > 0:14:11but their mother would come down quite a lot
0:14:11 > 0:14:14and share a tea with them, or perhaps a luncheon.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23Sometimes, even visitors to Osborne House would be invited down to the
0:14:23 > 0:14:27cottage for tea, served by the princes and princesses in their
0:14:27 > 0:14:29very own dining room.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32And you can imagine the Queen and her ladies-in-waiting all
0:14:32 > 0:14:36sitting around this table, waiting to be served by the royal children
0:14:36 > 0:14:40the produce, the fruits, of whatever they'd cooked downstairs.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42It's really quite special.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46Later on, after the children grew up and got married and left,
0:14:46 > 0:14:49sometimes the grandchildren would come and cook here as well.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51Victoria was very close to a lot of her grandchildren.
0:14:51 > 0:14:56But, increasingly, this room was used by Victoria herself to come
0:14:56 > 0:14:58and sit and deal with her correspondence.
0:14:58 > 0:14:59And, as time went on,
0:14:59 > 0:15:03the Swiss Cottage became more of a retreat for the Queen than it did
0:15:03 > 0:15:05a playhouse for the children.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07But it never lost that special function.
0:15:07 > 0:15:12It never lost that sense that it was something really quite special.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14And I think, when you stand here,
0:15:14 > 0:15:16you can still feel that in the atmosphere.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Food first eaten in childhood can have a long-lasting impact.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25It was as a child that the present Queen is said to have developed
0:15:25 > 0:15:26some very particular tastes.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32Kippers aren't the first thing that comes to mind as nursery food.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35But, according to Buckingham Palace staff at the time,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39the Queen developed her love for kippers as a child.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42She was playing at Windsor Castle with her sister, Princess Margaret,
0:15:42 > 0:15:44when she caught the aroma of kippers
0:15:44 > 0:15:46coming from the royal kitchens,
0:15:46 > 0:15:48and she's loved them ever since.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50This is a royal dish.
0:15:50 > 0:15:51Kipper puree.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53Rather like gentlemen's relish.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55You have it on toast. A favourite with...
0:15:56 > 0:15:58royals, adults and children alike.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00Mm.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03- That's pretty nice.- Quite an old-fashioned word that, puree.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05We'd probably know that now as pate.
0:16:05 > 0:16:06- Yeah.- Quite coarse.- Mm.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10Really nice. Kippers have been in favour with the royal family,
0:16:10 > 0:16:12- haven't they...- Yes.- ..all along?
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Even when kippers slightly fell out of favour with the rest of us
0:16:15 > 0:16:17around about the '70s or 1980s.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19- It's a shame really, isn't it? - It is.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21I think they're quite strong.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Certainly, the ones the royals have, the Manx kipper,
0:16:23 > 0:16:26are superior. They're absolutely delicious.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30The Queen apparently has kippers delivered on a weekly basis from
0:16:30 > 0:16:32- the Isle of Man - Manx kippers. - Absolutely.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34And I think it's sometimes maybe the smell when they're cooking.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37There's a lot of bones to them as well and stuff.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39A shame, because they're relatively cheap,
0:16:39 > 0:16:40they're healthy, they're versatile.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42- You've got this.- Full of Omega 3, nice and oily.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45- They are a very healthy fish. - You've got the puree, which is nice.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47You can have it in kedgeree. A classic is smoked haddock,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50but with kippers, really interesting twist to it.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52OK, so what are you going to do with kippers?
0:16:52 > 0:16:56We are going to make a beautiful Kipper strata.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58Not a kipper starter?
0:16:58 > 0:16:59- That as well.- Yeah?!
0:17:00 > 0:17:02- Kipper strata.- OK.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05We're going to use these wonderful Manx kippers.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07So if you just see, they're basically brined, OK?
0:17:07 > 0:17:10And then smoked. So they're absolutely delicious.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12- Very succulent.- The quality of the fillet.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14They're really juicy and succulent.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16Absolutely gorgeous.
0:17:16 > 0:17:17Right, it's a very simple dish.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19I've just changed it slightly,
0:17:19 > 0:17:21just to kind of get more flavour
0:17:21 > 0:17:24into it than the sort of original recipe.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26So here we've got some leeks.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28Rather than just boiling those in water,
0:17:28 > 0:17:29I've sweated them down in butter.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31Cooked them without colour in butter.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33A little pinch of seasoning with the lid on,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36so all that flavour stays in the leek and not in the water.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38- Looks really soft.- Absolutely.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41Rather than just putting raw onion in there, I've sliced the onion,
0:17:41 > 0:17:43nice and thin, and I've just salted it.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47That kind of removes some of the water and breaks the onion down
0:17:47 > 0:17:49a little bit so it's not quite so raw.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51- Our dressing, we're going to use some balsamic vinegar.- Yeah.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53OK.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55We're going to have a little splash.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57This is like making a basic dressing.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00You can see a really good quality vinegar - nice and thick.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04- OK.- This is a more recent recipe in fact, isn't it?
0:18:04 > 0:18:05A royal recipe. In fact,
0:18:05 > 0:18:08it first seemed to emerge in a cookbook
0:18:08 > 0:18:11- that was published in honour of the Queen Mother.- Right. OK.- Yeah.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14- So it must have been one of her favourites, I suppose.- Yes.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16Yeah. You can see straightaway,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19because we had that lovely, thick, balsamic vinegar,
0:18:19 > 0:18:23it goes thick straightaway, as soon as we emulsify the oil.
0:18:23 > 0:18:28OK. Now, like any dressing, you're sort of looking at a ratio of 2:1.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31By that, I mean two parts oil to one part vinegar.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33It's basically the fat cutting against the vinegar.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Yep. Yep. It's in that conflict that you get the...
0:18:36 > 0:18:38- Absolutely.- A little bit of salt.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41Now, we're going to add in a spoonful of our buttered leeks.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43These are gorgeous cos they're nice and soft.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47- Wonderful flavour coming from the leek.- Yeah.- Our raw onion.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49It's quite a fascinating recipe, this.
0:18:49 > 0:18:50Very unusual.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54But just by salting it, that onion now, it's not too strong.
0:18:54 > 0:18:55Just mix that together.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58- Yeah.- Like that.- Why do you think kippers fell out of fashion?
0:18:58 > 0:19:00I suppose you'd smoke the fish, because...
0:19:00 > 0:19:01You know, to preserve it.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04Then, when frozen fish came in, people thought,
0:19:04 > 0:19:07- "Oh, that's a bit easier." - I-I think it's that.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09I think it's a manner of things. I think it's the bones.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13- Sometimes the work. It is quite a strong-tasting fish.- Yeah.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16So I'm going to put some fresh parsley in there,
0:19:16 > 0:19:20- which goes absolutely beautiful with this mix.- Yeah.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Like that. I'll just put some fresh parsley.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25Because we got that lovely onion and leek in there,
0:19:25 > 0:19:27we're going to put some chive in there,
0:19:27 > 0:19:29- just so it all marries together. - Yeah.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31So we're just going to chop some...
0:19:31 > 0:19:33Finely chop some chives.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37Not normally kippers are a favourite of children,
0:19:37 > 0:19:40so it's rather surprising in a way it has been a favourite of
0:19:40 > 0:19:42several of the royal children down the generations.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Yeah. And I think, like you said earlier as well,
0:19:45 > 0:19:47- what's great about it is the health benefits.- Yeah, yeah.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50So we've got our kipper in there.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52Now, we just bring that mix...
0:19:54 > 0:19:56- Yep.- Absolutely delicious.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01OK. Now, we're going to come over to our toast.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04- So you see, that's like a nice, stiff mix?- Yep.
0:20:04 > 0:20:05It's almost like a cross between a salsa...
0:20:08 > 0:20:11..and this sort of almost like a salsa-type pate.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13So you're putting it on a sourdough? Pretty ideal.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17Yeah, just a nice piece of crispy sourdough, like that.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20Just finish the last spoonful on there.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22That lovely toast.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24- And let's taste.- Yes, bring it over.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26- OK.- I'll make you some room.
0:20:26 > 0:20:27- Thank you very much.- There you go.
0:20:29 > 0:20:30I've got my golden fork.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33- My trademark.- Let me cut you a piece.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35- Let me cut you a piece.- All right.
0:20:35 > 0:20:36Patience.
0:20:36 > 0:20:37MICHAEL LAUGHS
0:20:37 > 0:20:40- Not my vir...- There we are. - I haven't got a mouth THAT big.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42Come on. I'm just going to get at it.
0:20:42 > 0:20:43There we go. Don't look.
0:20:44 > 0:20:45Mm.
0:20:48 > 0:20:49Beautiful!
0:20:51 > 0:20:53- That is really delicious.- Mm!
0:20:53 > 0:20:56When I read this recipe, I had my reservations and stuff,
0:20:56 > 0:20:58- but it so works.- Mm!
0:20:58 > 0:21:02I do think it's good just to take the edge off of those onions
0:21:02 > 0:21:04- by salting them slightly.- Yeah. - Soft leeks.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06That lovely acidity with the balsamic. Beautiful, fresh herbs.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08A little bit of sweetness there as well somehow.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10- It is, which is the balsamic. - Oh, brilliant.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13- It's delicious.- Kipper strata.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15The Queen Mother's starter.
0:21:15 > 0:21:16- Fantastic!- One to remember her with.
0:21:16 > 0:21:17Yeah. Absolutely.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25The Queen is not the only royal with a love for these smoked herrings -
0:21:25 > 0:21:28her daughter also got a taste for kippers during a visit to Yorkshire.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35On the North Yorkshire Coast is the seaside town of Whitby.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38It has a long history as a fishing port.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42It's no surprise that one of the best-known and oldest businesses
0:21:42 > 0:21:44in the town is Fortune's Kippers.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52Fortune's has been run by the same family for 140 years.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56It's the last surviving kipper enterprise in Whitby.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59Can I have 2lbs of kippers, sweetheart, please?
0:21:59 > 0:22:02- Wrapped together?- Please, if you don't mind. Thank you.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04There's no shortage of customers,
0:22:04 > 0:22:06and they're not all locals.
0:22:06 > 0:22:07Thank you.
0:22:11 > 0:22:12When the aroma of the kippers
0:22:12 > 0:22:14wafted under the nose of the Princess Royal,
0:22:14 > 0:22:18she couldn't resist, as owner Barry Brown recalls.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21Princess Anne was visiting Whitby a number of years ago.
0:22:21 > 0:22:27And, during her visit, she'd sent her lady-in-waiting for kippers.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30Didn't think a lot more about it until a letter came saying, "Thank you."
0:22:30 > 0:22:33And that letter has been guarded closely
0:22:33 > 0:22:36by Barry and his brother, Derek, ever since.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39It's nice, you know, when you get acknowledged like that.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44"Dear Mr Barry and Mr Derek,
0:22:44 > 0:22:49"the Princess Royal has asked me to write and thank you for the kippers.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51"They smelt delicious and the Princess looks forward to eating
0:22:51 > 0:22:53"such a special treat from Whitby.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57"They will remind her of a most enjoyable, but rather brief,
0:22:57 > 0:22:58"visit to the town.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01"Her Royal Highness sends you her best wishes
0:23:01 > 0:23:03"for your continued success.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06"Yours sincerely,
0:23:06 > 0:23:10"Caroline... Lady-in-waiting to
0:23:10 > 0:23:12"Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal."
0:23:12 > 0:23:13Which is nice.
0:23:14 > 0:23:19Up until the 1970s, a huge amount of herring were landed at Whitby.
0:23:19 > 0:23:24These days, Fortune's buy theirs frozen from the North Atlantic.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26From here on, everything is done by hand.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29The first task is splitting and gutting the fish.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31These methods...
0:23:31 > 0:23:33are unchanged.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38The fifth generation doing this in the family.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44And we were taught to split herrings when we were young, very young.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47Up here with our grandparents and that.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50You watch and you learn and then eventually you got a little go at it
0:23:50 > 0:23:52and you earned a bit of pocket money at it.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55These skills are now second nature to Barry and his brother.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Everything's done simply by eye...
0:24:00 > 0:24:01..and by touch.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Once these herring have been cut and washed...
0:24:11 > 0:24:14..they're brined in saltwater solution
0:24:14 > 0:24:16for about 40 minutes.
0:24:17 > 0:24:18This is part of the curing process.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22It's a way of life. It's what you do.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28It was Barry and Derek's great-great-grandfather who set up the business.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32And the secrets of the smokehouse have been passed down through the family.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36This has been used for about almost 100 years.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42And we'll start the first fires, which are like a drying fire really,
0:24:42 > 0:24:44just to set the fish off a bit.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48Probably an hour and a half's fire, something like that.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51And then we'll go from there on in and see what we need...
0:24:51 > 0:24:52after that.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55The kippers are hung and the fires are made up
0:24:55 > 0:24:59of shavings of oak and beech on top of a layer of softwood.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02The fish are left to smoke for 20 hours.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05It will be a kipper once it comes out of the smokehouse.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07Goes in as a herring, and comes out as a kipper.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11Once they turn golden-brown, the kippers are ready for sale.
0:25:17 > 0:25:18Maybe do 500-600 herring...
0:25:19 > 0:25:22..maybe three times a week - three, four times a week.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24We have regulars.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27It's mainly visitors to town that come up for them.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30But it's always steady all year round.
0:25:31 > 0:25:32Anybody who comes to Whitby,
0:25:32 > 0:25:35somebody will say, "Oh, bring me some kippers back."
0:25:36 > 0:25:40This is a business which knows exactly how to keep its customers happy,
0:25:40 > 0:25:41whoever they are.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44It's great to get the feedback.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48You know, customer satisfaction is as good as anything, really.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57I'm here in the library of the house with Ingrid Seward
0:25:57 > 0:26:00of Majesty Magazine and author of A Royal Childhood.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02So...how do they eat?
0:26:03 > 0:26:06They always eat in the nursery.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10The nursery is like the fiefdom of nanny.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12And the nursery footman.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16And they eat at precisely 4:30 for tea,
0:26:16 > 0:26:18which is half an hour before the grown-ups.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21And then they have supper at seven o'clock.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24And they have to be all bathed and washed
0:26:24 > 0:26:26and in their nightclothes in time for that.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28But always separate from their parents?
0:26:28 > 0:26:32Well, they only eat with their parents when they can sit up straight,
0:26:32 > 0:26:35not fidget, and hold a knife and fork properly.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38But Prince Charles thought this was a bit archaic and he'd try something
0:26:38 > 0:26:42else, so he requested that Prince William should be brought down
0:26:42 > 0:26:44to have breakfast with him one day.
0:26:44 > 0:26:45Now, William was still in a high chair.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49And William got hold of an egg and, instead of eating it,
0:26:49 > 0:26:51he just dropped it on the floor.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55Prince Charles said, "I don't think we'll be repeating this experiment."
0:26:58 > 0:26:59Who decides what they eat?
0:26:59 > 0:27:02Is it the nanny, is the chef, or is it the parents?
0:27:02 > 0:27:04It's a combination of all three.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Nanny and the chef often have a little contretemps.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12And there was one particular chef who didn't like Nanny Lightbody,
0:27:12 > 0:27:15who was the nanny for Charles and Anne.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17She would ring down every day and say,
0:27:17 > 0:27:19"I think we'll have liver for lunch."
0:27:19 > 0:27:22And the chef would say, "Oh, um, yes, we'll have liver."
0:27:22 > 0:27:24Then nanny said, "No, I think we'll have chicken."
0:27:24 > 0:27:26So every day, she changed it.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28So in the end, the chef sort of double-thought
0:27:28 > 0:27:31what nanny was going to say. And when she said,
0:27:31 > 0:27:34"We'll have chicken," they then produce liver.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36"It was just one of those stupid little things."
0:27:36 > 0:27:38So it sounds like for royal children,
0:27:38 > 0:27:41they almost eat in an ordinary way,
0:27:41 > 0:27:43not grand at all?
0:27:43 > 0:27:46Well, it's not grand, but it isn't that ordinary either.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48On one occasion, when Charles was a little bit older,
0:27:48 > 0:27:51he was going to go to a custard pie party.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53I don't think people have those any more!
0:27:53 > 0:27:58Anyway, so the chef cooked all these beautiful custard pies,
0:27:58 > 0:28:00but they weren't set solid.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04And when he arrived at the party and got the vats of custard
0:28:04 > 0:28:07out of the back, they were still a bit wobbly - he didn't realise that.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11Anyhow, when Charles came to throw his custard pies,
0:28:11 > 0:28:15they were still wet inside, and they had to have the whole room
0:28:15 > 0:28:17redecorated. That sort of...
0:28:17 > 0:28:19They love throwing things.
0:28:19 > 0:28:20Love throwing food.
0:28:21 > 0:28:22Ingrid, thanks.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28As the royal children got a little older,
0:28:28 > 0:28:32the Palace chefs developed a large repertoire of childhood favourites.
0:28:38 > 0:28:42Darren McGrady spent more than 15 years cooking for the royal family.
0:28:42 > 0:28:47Four of those cooking for Diana and the boys at Kensington Palace,
0:28:47 > 0:28:49where a popular dish was banana flan.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55We always knew when Prince William and Prince Harry were going to be
0:28:55 > 0:28:58home because Princess Diana would write banana flan on the menu.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01I first made it at Buckingham Palace for the Queen,
0:29:01 > 0:29:03but whenever Prince William and Harry were home,
0:29:03 > 0:29:06we always used to make banana flan.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08So to make the pastry, the first part of the dish,
0:29:08 > 0:29:11I've got a food processor, and I'm going to add some flour.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13And some sugar. And then butter.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15If the butter is really chilled,
0:29:15 > 0:29:18the pastry you can start rolling straightaway.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20And then a little bit of vanilla.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23MIXER WHIRS
0:29:23 > 0:29:24We don't want to over-beat it,
0:29:24 > 0:29:27because if we do, we just tighten the mixture.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31And then into that, we can add an egg and then mix that in.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37As you can see, all this pastry comes together, then.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43If your butter's really soft,
0:29:43 > 0:29:45then you're going to put this in the refrigerator now
0:29:45 > 0:29:47for about an hour to let it set.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50But this seems firm enough for me to roll out.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53And we want it nice and thin, not too thick.
0:29:53 > 0:29:57So once it is rolled out, fold it back onto the rolling pin,
0:29:57 > 0:29:59and then over your dish.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03The secret here is actually to lift and push with your finger.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05You go around the dish, and get that...
0:30:07 > 0:30:09..crease right in the bottom of the dish.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12Then you go across the top with a rolling pin,
0:30:12 > 0:30:14and all the excess dough comes off.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18Then just press back on any overlapping pastry
0:30:18 > 0:30:23gives us a professional pie shell, fit for a queen.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27Then it goes on a baking tray, and we have to blind bake it.
0:30:27 > 0:30:29Take a little bit of parchment paper,
0:30:29 > 0:30:33put it into the bottom of our pastry ring.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36There we go. We have to put some weights.
0:30:36 > 0:30:38And we're using ceramic baking beans.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40If you don't have these at home, you can use rice.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46The pastry takes 15 minutes at 180 degrees.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50The next step is making the custardy, creamy filling.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53For the pastry cream, I'm going to start off with some eggs.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57I use five yolks and one whole egg.
0:30:58 > 0:31:00Then I need to boil some milk and cream.
0:31:02 > 0:31:07While that's boiling, into my bowl I'm going to put some sugar...
0:31:08 > 0:31:11..some cornflour, a little vanilla...
0:31:13 > 0:31:15..and a pinch of salt.
0:31:16 > 0:31:17And then whisk all this together.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22Once the milk and the cream comes to the boil,
0:31:22 > 0:31:26I can just pour that now straight onto my egg mixture.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28Once it's all mixed in,
0:31:28 > 0:31:31it goes back into the pan on the stove.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38You just carry on whisking this until it all starts to thicken up.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40Prince William loved banana flan.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43Whenever he came home from school,
0:31:43 > 0:31:45he'd always request banana flan,
0:31:45 > 0:31:48and you can see now we have this gorgeous...
0:31:49 > 0:31:52..pastry cream. It goes into a bowl, a nice clean bowl...
0:31:54 > 0:31:58..and then a little bit of grease-proof paper over the top
0:31:58 > 0:32:00to stop a skin forming.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03And then into the refrigerator to set and cool down.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08Once the pastry cream is made, we can then check on the flan.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10It should be a nice golden-brown now.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12Look at that. Beautiful.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16Carefully lift the parchment paper off.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22Now, it just needs to go back in the oven, just to harden up that base,
0:32:22 > 0:32:24for about five minutes.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27Cooking such a popular pud in Kensington Palace
0:32:27 > 0:32:29presented Darren with occasional problems.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32The bananas would run out.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34You could always be sure that, when I was making it,
0:32:34 > 0:32:36and I'd get to this stage,
0:32:36 > 0:32:39and the next part was actually slicing the bananas,
0:32:39 > 0:32:41Princess Diana would walk into the kitchen and chat,
0:32:41 > 0:32:44and then just take one of the bananas and start eating it,
0:32:44 > 0:32:46and then the boys would come in, too.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49They'd take a banana each and start eating it, too.
0:32:49 > 0:32:50And I've got, like, one banana,
0:32:50 > 0:32:53and hopefully I've got more in the pantry.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55The pastry's been in for a further five minutes.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58It should be ready now. While the flan's cooling,
0:32:58 > 0:33:01we can move onto the next stage,
0:33:01 > 0:33:03and that is to make the apricot jam.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06I'm going to heat the jam until it softens slightly,
0:33:06 > 0:33:09and that'll make much easier to spread.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11Then I can get my pastry cream.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15The pastry cream has just cooled nicely.
0:33:16 > 0:33:17All I need to do is just stir that.
0:33:20 > 0:33:21Mm, that smells so good.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24And then pour this into my flan
0:33:24 > 0:33:28and spread it nice and evenly.
0:33:28 > 0:33:29Once the jam has started to melt...
0:33:31 > 0:33:34..the next thing is slicing the bananas.
0:33:38 > 0:33:43Then the bananas we can arrange neatly and stack them and overlap
0:33:43 > 0:33:48them to make it look pretty. I can take my jam and brush over the top.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50It makes a beautiful, sweet glaze,
0:33:50 > 0:33:53and at the same time stops the bananas from going brown.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57Once the jam is on there, covering all the bananas,
0:33:57 > 0:33:59that is what we're looking for.
0:33:59 > 0:34:03That is the banana flan that Prince William loved so much.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06A beautiful, crisp pastry tart shell,
0:34:06 > 0:34:10creamy, soft, smooth pastry cream underneath.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13Sliced bananas and apricot jam.
0:34:13 > 0:34:14A little cream on top.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16The perfect dessert.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23Over 100 years earlier, at Buckingham Palace,
0:34:23 > 0:34:27kitchenmaid Mildred Nicholls would have prepared tea and puddings
0:34:27 > 0:34:30for the children of George V and Queen Mary,
0:34:30 > 0:34:33as well as cakes such as...
0:34:35 > 0:34:38That banana flan must have kept generations of royal children happy,
0:34:38 > 0:34:40- don't you think?- It sounded like good times to me.
0:34:40 > 0:34:42It did - good times, yeah.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45When our Buckingham Palace kitchenmaid, Mildred Nicholls,
0:34:45 > 0:34:47was writing her recipes in this book,
0:34:47 > 0:34:50there were six children running around the palace.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54- But that era of Edwardian extravagance was over, really... - Yeah.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58..because King George V was pretty stern and austere. And Queen Mary,
0:34:58 > 0:35:01not to put too fine a point on it, was a bit of a penny-pincher.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03And it reflects in this recipe.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05We're making Swiss roll today.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08But usually you would make the base, the sponge, with flour, and
0:35:08 > 0:35:11- we're using breadcrumbs.- Straight out of Mildred's recipe book?
0:35:11 > 0:35:14- Straight out of Mildred's recipe. - With breadcrumbs.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16- Have you ever used breadcrumbs in Swiss roll?- Never in Swiss roll.
0:35:16 > 0:35:20Quite clever, though. I know, like you say, the penny-pinching, but...
0:35:20 > 0:35:22- But it was - that was the idea, wasn't it?- Absolutely.
0:35:22 > 0:35:26Queen Mary did not want any bits of leftover bread to go to waste.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29Sure, and to use it up in Swiss roll.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32So let's taste - it might actually be really nice.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34- Here we go.- Right, OK, on you go. - Right.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37So what we've got in here is basically eggs and sugar,
0:35:37 > 0:35:38and we've just whisked them up,
0:35:38 > 0:35:41- and we are going to turn that back on.- Yup.
0:35:42 > 0:35:46And what this is, it is called a sabayon.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49- Sabayon?- A sabayon. So it's basically the sugar and the eggs
0:35:49 > 0:35:51are just whisked until they go nice and thick and fluffy.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54- Yes.- Now, we're going to add in our breadcrumb.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56This is basically like a...
0:35:56 > 0:35:59our kind of cake dough, so it's very, very simple.
0:36:01 > 0:36:05Just going to turn that up, and just basically whisk it all in.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09But it be a bit of difference, having breadcrumbs
0:36:09 > 0:36:12- rather than flour, surely?- Yes. - Breadcrumbs must be coarser?
0:36:12 > 0:36:15Absolutely, and I think there will be a textural difference as well.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18As you can see, you've got those kind of grains of the breadcrumb in.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21- Yeah.- So we're just going to take that out of there, Michael.
0:36:21 > 0:36:22- OK.- Remove the whisk.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27Not that I suppose King George V would have noticed.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29He was very, very austere in his taste.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32He used to have thin soup at 11 o'clock.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34- Thin soup at 11 o'clock?- Yeah.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37And the thing he really liked was mashed potatoes, apparently.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40And did they have to have lumps in, or no lumps?
0:36:40 > 0:36:44Probably! And apple dumplings was the only dessert he really liked.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46- Apple dumplings?- Yeah. Lovely.
0:36:46 > 0:36:51Right, so, again, we just put in the mix right into the corners.
0:36:51 > 0:36:52We don't want any air.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55- Right.- So we just get in all of that mix.
0:36:55 > 0:36:56So you can see, quite simple -
0:36:56 > 0:37:00just breadcrumbs, the sugar and the eggs, whisked.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02This wouldn't have stretched Mildred too far, would it?
0:37:02 > 0:37:04No, I don't think so.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06So just into the corners.
0:37:07 > 0:37:09Yeah.
0:37:09 > 0:37:10And the important thing, Michael,
0:37:10 > 0:37:13is just to make sure that there's no air in the mixture.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15So just a gentle tap.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17- As you can see, you've got those little pockets.- Yep.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20- The reason for that is you don't get holes in the sponge.- Yeah.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23Like that. Now, if I could send you to the scullery.
0:37:23 > 0:37:24That's my natural role.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28If you could put that in the oven, it's ten minutes, 200 degrees.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31And you know the drill. Yes, chef. Can you bring me back the other one?
0:37:31 > 0:37:32- Of course.- Thank you. OK, chef.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43You OK, Michael?
0:37:43 > 0:37:45Yeah, I'll be with you in a minute, chef.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51It's hot, though.
0:37:51 > 0:37:52Here we go.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58- Look at that!- It LOOKS nice, doesn't it?
0:37:58 > 0:38:00- It does, and it smells quite nice. - Yeah!
0:38:00 > 0:38:03- Whether it tastes nice... - Fantastic.- ..let's see.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05- What next?- So now we've got our sponge made,
0:38:05 > 0:38:07this is the next kind of important thing.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10You know that lovely kind of almost crispy texture around the outside of
0:38:10 > 0:38:12- Swiss roll, the sugar?- Yeah.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14So we're just going to sprinkle our sugar...
0:38:14 > 0:38:17- I'll get out of your way.- ..all over the tea towel.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20I'm going to be quite liberal with it, because we want...
0:38:20 > 0:38:22- It's important, while it's warm...- Excuse me a sec.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25- Sorry, is it on your shoes? - You've frosted me trousers.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28- There we go.- That's it, all over like this.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33And while it's warm, Michael, the sugar will stick.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36- So that is why you've got to do it while it's warm, eh?- Absolutely.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38So now, turn her over like that.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40MICHAEL CHUCKLES
0:38:40 > 0:38:41And just gently -
0:38:41 > 0:38:44you've got to work quite quickly as well -
0:38:44 > 0:38:49- just peel off from underneath like that. OK?- Yeah.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54Just like that.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57And it's so important to do this while it's warm.
0:38:57 > 0:39:02- There we go. OK.- Now, this is Swiss roll with breadcrumbs, eh?
0:39:02 > 0:39:04- Absolutely.- Rather than flour.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07Now, you want to get a really tight roll, OK?
0:39:07 > 0:39:09But don't get the cloth trapped in the middle,
0:39:09 > 0:39:12which I know sounds obvious, but is not as easy as you think.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14So just keep going over till you've
0:39:14 > 0:39:17- got your first roll, like this. - Yeah.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19And the reason you are doing it warm...
0:39:19 > 0:39:21is so that you get the fold.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23Can you see the sugar coating it?
0:39:23 > 0:39:26- Yeah.- Now, go all the way over, like that.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29It would be terribly easy to get the cloth trapped,
0:39:29 > 0:39:31then you'd be completely snookered.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34Yeah, that's why you have got to keep it there, absolutely.
0:39:34 > 0:39:35Now, the whole idea now...
0:39:37 > 0:39:40- ..is leave that there...- Yeah.- ..and that's basically going to set,
0:39:40 > 0:39:43so it's almost a bit muscle memory, if you like.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45Muscle memory!
0:39:45 > 0:39:49- So we are just going to...- So it only rolls one way, like snails?
0:39:49 > 0:39:51- Absolutely.- Snail shells, yeah.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54- We want it to cool...- Yeah. - ..so we get this.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59Like so. Now, we pull that cloth back.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02Now that's cooled down, see that lovely sugar crust?
0:40:02 > 0:40:05Now, you can see the whole Swiss roll taking shape.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08- Yup.- Don't worry about it.
0:40:08 > 0:40:10It wants to curl back because of its muscle memory?
0:40:10 > 0:40:13Because of its muscle memory. You like that word, don't you?
0:40:13 > 0:40:15You're learning so much from me, aren't you?
0:40:15 > 0:40:18- Such a poncey chef you are. - Not just the cooking!
0:40:18 > 0:40:19"Muscle memory" - it's a Swiss roll!
0:40:21 > 0:40:26- Now, what's this?- This is Mildred's actual recipe of creme patisserie.
0:40:26 > 0:40:27So, basically, a really thick custard
0:40:27 > 0:40:29used in things like Swiss rolls,
0:40:29 > 0:40:31- the base of souffles.- Yeah.- OK?
0:40:33 > 0:40:35How different is it from just ordinary custard?
0:40:35 > 0:40:37- No different at all, actually. - Oh, right.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39This is just egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, milk,
0:40:39 > 0:40:41and then some flour to thicken it.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43- Just one of your fancy names, eh? - Yes.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47Be quite liberal with it because,
0:40:47 > 0:40:50like I say, I'm still very...
0:40:50 > 0:40:53I'm still very optimistic about the...
0:40:53 > 0:40:56breadcrumb, so I want to make sure we have got plenty of custard.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58What, just in case it doesn't...
0:40:58 > 0:41:02- it doesn't feel cakey and fancy enough...- Absolutely, yes.- ..with the breadcrumbs?
0:41:02 > 0:41:04Yeah, so right over like this.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06Very liberal.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09Cos I don't think Queen Mary, you know, was that much of a foodie.
0:41:09 > 0:41:11Now, one of my favourites -
0:41:11 > 0:41:14and also Mildred as well - rhubarb jam.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16Absolutely delicious.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19Who doesn't like rhubarb and custard?
0:41:19 > 0:41:24Rhubarb and custard, that's actually a bit nursery food-ish, isn't it?
0:41:24 > 0:41:26Absolutely, that's why I wanted to make it a bit different,
0:41:26 > 0:41:28rather than it being the strawberry.
0:41:28 > 0:41:29For me, rhubarb and custard...
0:41:29 > 0:41:31Mildred would have done it with strawberry?
0:41:31 > 0:41:33I think so, yeah, absolutely.
0:41:33 > 0:41:34Right, and then, same again.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36Keeping the tea towel out,
0:41:36 > 0:41:38just roll it back a bit.
0:41:38 > 0:41:39It should be easier, shouldn't it?
0:41:39 > 0:41:41Yeah, absolutely, because you've got the muscle memory.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44The muscle memory, yeah. Why do it with the tea towel and not
0:41:44 > 0:41:46just, now, just roll it with your hands?
0:41:46 > 0:41:49Because I want to keep it nice and tight, Michael.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51- Like that.- It's squeezing out at the end.
0:41:51 > 0:41:53Absolutely, and, for me, it has to
0:41:53 > 0:41:55be filled up, otherwise...
0:41:55 > 0:41:56Well, can you see? Look at this.
0:41:56 > 0:41:58- Yeah.- OK? - MICHAEL LAUGHS
0:41:58 > 0:42:00Now, with a palette knife we'll just get that,
0:42:00 > 0:42:02because we don't want to waste it.
0:42:02 > 0:42:04Push that like that on the ends.
0:42:04 > 0:42:05So that is Mildred's Swiss roll.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07It is not Swiss, you know, by the way.
0:42:07 > 0:42:08Or at least I don't think it's Swiss -
0:42:08 > 0:42:11there's no reason to believe it's actually come from Switzerland.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13Now, would you like a slice?
0:42:13 > 0:42:16- Oh, I think I could force one down(!)- Yeah.
0:42:16 > 0:42:17Right.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21Yes, I'll have the one on the end with all the excess stuff.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23Yes.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26I'll get myself a fork.
0:42:26 > 0:42:27Yeah, get yourself a fork.
0:42:27 > 0:42:28MICHAEL CHUCKLES
0:42:29 > 0:42:31- Right.- There we are.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33- Thank you.- Get stuck in.- I will.
0:42:37 > 0:42:38How's that?
0:42:38 > 0:42:40Mmm.
0:42:40 > 0:42:41Mm! It's the...
0:42:41 > 0:42:44it's the crust and the sugar that's nice,
0:42:44 > 0:42:46and the cream and the rhubarb.
0:42:46 > 0:42:47HE SMACKS HIS LIPS
0:42:47 > 0:42:49Mm!
0:42:49 > 0:42:51You can see children would love it, wouldn't they?
0:42:51 > 0:42:54Yeah, I think what makes it nice is the rhubarb jam.
0:42:54 > 0:42:55That lovely, thick custard.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58- Yes.- And, actually, do you know what?
0:42:58 > 0:43:02- With the breadcrumbs, it is a great way of using breadcrumbs up.- Yeah.
0:43:02 > 0:43:06Everyone has bread at home that they throw away.
0:43:06 > 0:43:08And that's better than feeding it to the ducks, isn't it?
0:43:08 > 0:43:10THEY LAUGH
0:43:10 > 0:43:11Penny-pinching Royals, eh?
0:43:11 > 0:43:13Delicious.
0:43:13 > 0:43:16OK, that's it from our celebration of cooking for royal children.
0:43:16 > 0:43:17See you next time.