0:00:02 > 0:00:03The royal family are steeped in tradition,
0:00:03 > 0:00:07and throughout history the royal tables have showcased culinary excellence.
0:00:07 > 0:00:08In celebration of royal food...
0:00:08 > 0:00:10We know it's the Queen's recipe
0:00:10 > 0:00:12because we've got it in her own hand.
0:00:12 > 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 > 0:00:29We sample royal eating al fresco...
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 > 0:00:37"Pheasant, stag, turkey, salmon,
0:00:37 > 0:00:39"oysters and turbot dressed in a lobster champagne sauce."
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Unbelievable!
0:00:41 > 0:00:42This 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 > 0:01:03In the splendour of the gardens, halls and kitchen
0:01:03 > 0:01:05of 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 kitchen maid's cookbook,
0:01:16 > 0:01:20the only surviving recipe book of its kind in the royal archive.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23This is an exact copy of the original,
0:01:23 > 0:01:25which is kept at Windsor Castle.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Inside, the recipes of Mildred Nicholls
0:01:27 > 0:01:32who worked at Buckingham Palace in the early 1900s.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35And for the first time in over 100 years,
0:01:35 > 0:01:37we'll be bringing these recipes back to life.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45This time, we cook the food members of the royal family choose
0:01:45 > 0:01:48when they're away from their public duties -
0:01:48 > 0:01:51the personal favourite they enjoy with family and friends,
0:01:51 > 0:01:53whether at a picnic or dining out.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58Today, in the Royal Recipes kitchen,
0:01:58 > 0:02:01chef Anna Haugh creates a dish that would have found favour
0:02:01 > 0:02:04with Edward VII and his mistress Lillie Langtry.
0:02:06 > 0:02:07I admire Edward VII.
0:02:07 > 0:02:12If I had this, all I'd want to do after this is go to sleep.
0:02:13 > 0:02:14Historian Dr Polly Russell
0:02:14 > 0:02:18visits the restaurants given the royal seal of approval.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20Princess Margaret so loved this pie
0:02:20 > 0:02:23that she would send her butler from Kensington Palace
0:02:23 > 0:02:25to come and get one.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28And Michelin-starred chef Anton Mosimann
0:02:28 > 0:02:30reveals how cooking for Prince Charles
0:02:30 > 0:02:33is all about home-grown produce.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35He wants the best and, for me,
0:02:35 > 0:02:39that's exactly what I cook for - the best.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46In the magnificence of the Victorian kitchen wing,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49we start with stout-hearted fare
0:02:49 > 0:02:53fit for the gourmand king Edward VII.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56Hello, I'm here in this grand kitchen of this stately home
0:02:56 > 0:03:00with Anna Haugh, who's executive chef of a top London restaurant.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02A bit different from this, I imagine?
0:03:02 > 0:03:03Oh, absolutely.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05It's like a dungeon where I normally work!
0:03:05 > 0:03:07THEY LAUGH
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Today, we're going off duty with the royals,
0:03:09 > 0:03:12taking a look at some of the dishes they're served
0:03:12 > 0:03:14in some of their royal haunts.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16First stop, Rules Restaurant in Covent Garden, London.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19It's supposed to be London's oldest restaurant.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Yeah, famous for its game.
0:03:21 > 0:03:26Famous for its game and famous for being the rendezvous for Edward VII
0:03:26 > 0:03:29when he was Prince of Wales, and his mistress, Lillie Langtry.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31Yes, naughty Eddie.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34With the banquette. Anyway, we won't go into that.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36One of the things he probably had actually,
0:03:36 > 0:03:40because it's famous for game, is woodcock on toast.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43- Yeah.- But they wouldn't have it as a main course, would they?
0:03:43 > 0:03:46- No, no.- This is a savoury for the end of the meal
0:03:46 > 0:03:47after the sweet pudding.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49That's it, so they could continue...
0:03:49 > 0:03:53- Ah, the port tastes a bit better after something savoury.- Exactly.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56Anyway, you're not going to do this kind of woodcock...
0:03:56 > 0:03:58NO. You're going to do a completely different woodcock dish.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02Absolutely, I'm going to do woodcock pudding.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04And I love recipes like this.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06When you say "woodcock pudding",
0:04:06 > 0:04:08this is woodcock pudding like a steak and kidney pudding,
0:04:08 > 0:04:10not like a dessert.
0:04:10 > 0:04:11Exactly, exactly.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14OK, so the first thing I'm going to start with is the suet pastry.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16You can make it hot, you can make it cold.
0:04:16 > 0:04:17Today I'm going to make it cold.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20So you just add your suet in, pinch of salt.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24And then you want to add your water in kind of gradually.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26It's roughly about 100 mls or so of water.
0:04:26 > 0:04:27It's a really simple mix.
0:04:27 > 0:04:32You just have flour, suet, pinch of salt and water.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35When you do actually make a recipe like this,
0:04:35 > 0:04:37you realise why it was ever created
0:04:37 > 0:04:41because it is meatier than just using butter or olive oil.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43- More sustaining.- Mm, mm.
0:04:43 > 0:04:44So what are you doing here?
0:04:44 > 0:04:47You're just mixing it or are you trying to crush it as well?
0:04:47 > 0:04:49No, I'm just bringing it all together.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53You see, if I add any more water, it would come together easier
0:04:53 > 0:04:54but it would be too wet.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56- Can you dispose of that for me, please?- I can.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58I've lined the mould with just a little bit of butter
0:04:58 > 0:05:01- and then also...- You've got something on the bottom there.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03Yeah, a bit of greaseproof paper on the bottom just to make sure...
0:05:03 > 0:05:05Ah, is that so it doesn't stick?
0:05:05 > 0:05:07I don't think it would stick but I'm just being extra careful.
0:05:07 > 0:05:08Well, yours never stick.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Just because you're around, Michael, I'm just being extra careful.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15I'm actually going to take a little bit of this off
0:05:15 > 0:05:17and this will go as the top.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20- Yeah.- Then on the line of it, just roll it out.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24It really has a feel of an Edwardian dish, doesn't it?
0:05:24 > 0:05:25Mm, it does, yeah.
0:05:25 > 0:05:31Of chaps with ample girth putting down their cigars and tucking in.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33I'm just going to roll it on the rolling pin
0:05:33 > 0:05:34so that it doesn't break.
0:05:34 > 0:05:41- Yeah?- And just place it over the bowl and fit it in.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43It's a very forgiving pastry.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45You know, it lets you away with blue murder.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47So we can just squeeze it into...
0:05:47 > 0:05:48Is that why you like it?
0:05:48 > 0:05:51That's why I like it, yes. It's very forgiving.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Good squeeze around.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57So I'll roll the lid before I go to finish the mix.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00OK, so this is going to be the top of the thing.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02You're going to pop this on here
0:06:02 > 0:06:04once you've put the contents of the pie in there.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07Exactly. You want to have a lot of time to do this.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09This isn't something you're going to rustle up in 15 minutes.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12You know, it's something that if you have it ready in advance,
0:06:12 > 0:06:14I think it's a bit of a showstopper.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17Yeah. So what are you going to put in here?
0:06:17 > 0:06:21OK, so now we're just going to add in the raw chopped woodcock.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24- Raw?- Yeah, raw now because you're going to cook this pie
0:06:24 > 0:06:27for quite a few hours. And a bit of parsley.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30In here I've sweated down some mushrooms with some onions
0:06:30 > 0:06:34- and I've got a bit of demi-glace in there.- Demi-glace?
0:06:34 > 0:06:36Yeah, it's a bit of a fancy word
0:06:36 > 0:06:39- for meat stock that has been reduced down.- Right.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41It has some red wine in it
0:06:41 > 0:06:44and a little drop of Madeira has gone into our one as well.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46So that's ready to go inside the centre.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49- That's great, a demi-glace.- Yeah. - Poncey, isn't it?
0:06:49 > 0:06:51- Doesn't that look beautiful? - It does.- Just look at it.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53Yeah. Put that on the top.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Yeah, I'm going to squeeze it down.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Our forgiving pastry is going to let me away with blue murder.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01This is brilliant because it barely even shrinks at all.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03It will shrink a very small amount,
0:07:03 > 0:07:06but you'll see when I open up my pie later on.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09So you just want to clean it up, cut around the edge.
0:07:10 > 0:07:11Now...
0:07:13 > 0:07:14Then your tinfoil goes on top.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Buttered tinfoil so it doesn't stick to your pie
0:07:17 > 0:07:20and you just make sure that your foil is nice and tight
0:07:20 > 0:07:22because you're going to steam this.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25- Yep. Steam it?- It's important that you actually don't let the steam in,
0:07:25 > 0:07:28it's more that the steam is cooking it from the outside.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30- A steamed suet pudding.- Yes.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33This is straight out of the past, this, isn't it?
0:07:33 > 0:07:39So here is one that's been simmering away now for the past few hours.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41- How many hours?- Three.
0:07:41 > 0:07:42- Three hours?- Three hours.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44This isn't fast food we're talking about, is it?
0:07:44 > 0:07:46Now, Michael, my hands aren't asbestos
0:07:46 > 0:07:49- so you're going to have to move. - Oh, sorry, sorry!- Thank you.
0:07:49 > 0:07:50OK.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53I'm so excited. I love this!
0:07:53 > 0:07:54I love this so much!
0:07:54 > 0:07:56Like, genuinely, I love this.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59Do you like woodcock itself or is it just the pudding that excites you?
0:07:59 > 0:08:01Game in general just excites me.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03OK, Oh, look at that!
0:08:03 > 0:08:04Look at that!
0:08:04 > 0:08:07- Isn't that beautiful?! - Yes, yes.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10That's absolutely stunning.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Just going to run a knife along the edge,
0:08:12 > 0:08:16just to make sure that when I flip this over
0:08:16 > 0:08:19that it doesn't stay stuck.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Oh, but that just smells AMAZING!
0:08:22 > 0:08:23- It does, doesn't it? - It smells amazing.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28- Now, this is a big moment. - This is a big moment.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30You're just going to sort of...boomph!
0:08:30 > 0:08:35Pretty much, so let's hope I don't mess it up. OK...
0:08:35 > 0:08:36Oh!
0:08:39 > 0:08:40- Very deft.- Yes, well,
0:08:40 > 0:08:43the second thing I'm hoping for is that it releases.
0:08:43 > 0:08:44Ah, right.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48Oh-ho-ho-ho!
0:08:48 > 0:08:49Oh, I say!
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Oh, the smell of that is just...
0:08:52 > 0:08:54- Let's have a sniff. - It's amazing.
0:08:54 > 0:08:55Oh, yes! It's...
0:08:56 > 0:08:59..warm and... Oh, yeah.
0:08:59 > 0:09:00So the last thing we're going to add...
0:09:00 > 0:09:03The two things we're going to add is a bit more demi-glace,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06- or a bit more gravy.- Demi-glace?
0:09:06 > 0:09:07Oh, is that gravy?
0:09:07 > 0:09:09Yes, demi-glace is posh gravy.
0:09:10 > 0:09:15And then to really make it luxurious and special,
0:09:15 > 0:09:17I'm going to put some truffle on top.
0:09:17 > 0:09:18Oh!
0:09:18 > 0:09:20Just for you. It's just for you.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24OK. This is aroma, pure aroma.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32So the joy of truffle is the speckles going everywhere.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34That, to me, is just beautiful.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Oh, yeah.
0:09:37 > 0:09:38A bit more?
0:09:38 > 0:09:40Yeah!
0:09:40 > 0:09:41You can imagine Edward leaning over,
0:09:41 > 0:09:45his whiskers all twitching with appreciation.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48I wouldn't have thought Lillie Langtry had too many suet puddings.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50No, I would not think so.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52Not by the looks of her.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54- No, indeed.- So there you have it,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57steamed woodcock pudding with demi-glace and truffle.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Wow! Now, what would you serve it with?
0:10:00 > 0:10:03Maybe some crushed swede and freshly steamed greens
0:10:03 > 0:10:06would be nice with that as well, I'd say.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08OK, let's crack this...
0:10:08 > 0:10:10This is really hearty stuff, isn't it?
0:10:10 > 0:10:12Oh, my goodness!
0:10:12 > 0:10:15- Look at that! - That is so delicious!
0:10:15 > 0:10:18If I do say so myself!
0:10:18 > 0:10:19OK, come on, come on.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23- First I'm going to try the filling. - OK, I'll do that, too.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25Mm!
0:10:26 > 0:10:28I'm not sure I've had woodcock before.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31Tell me what you think. It's so good.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34- Lovely.- Isn't it so good?
0:10:34 > 0:10:35Isn't it so good?
0:10:35 > 0:10:38- The meat is really tender, isn't it? - Yeah.
0:10:38 > 0:10:39I better have some of that suet.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41Yeah, I love the pastry.
0:10:41 > 0:10:42Mmm, mm, mm.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45- Mm!- Mm.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47So much flavour.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50It's rich. Really, really rich.
0:10:50 > 0:10:51It's just soaked up all of that.
0:10:51 > 0:10:52Mm!
0:10:54 > 0:10:55Mm!
0:10:55 > 0:10:58This is lovely but I admire Edward VII.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01If I had this, all I'd want to do after this -
0:11:01 > 0:11:04finish the glass of port, go to sleep.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06ANNA LAUGHS
0:11:08 > 0:11:11The Prince of Wales was breaking with royal tradition
0:11:11 > 0:11:13when he dined out in a restaurant, but I can see why.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Decades after Edward VII's first forays,
0:11:22 > 0:11:26younger royals started dining out as regulars on the restaurant scene.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30Historian Dr Polly Russell explorers the range of royal tastes.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Princes William and Harry are as at home in a burger bar
0:11:35 > 0:11:36as a royal banquet.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38Their mother, Princess Diana,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41was a regular at fashionable eateries like San Lorenzo,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44having her own table there in the 1980s.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46But the idea of princes or princesses
0:11:46 > 0:11:50going out to dine at a restaurant was once unthinkable.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56It wasn't until the 1930s that a restaurant actually reserved a table
0:11:56 > 0:11:59for an HRH, and that's where I'm going now.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03Opened in 1929, Quaglino's quickly became the restaurant
0:12:03 > 0:12:05for bright young things.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Until this time, fine dining had been stuffy,
0:12:08 > 0:12:10but here the dress code was relaxed,
0:12:10 > 0:12:14with cocktails flowing and a heaving dance floor.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18By 1935, it had even tempted notorious party boy
0:12:18 > 0:12:20the future Edward VIII.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22- Hi.- So nice to meet you. Thanks so much for having me.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24This is the most amazing place.
0:12:24 > 0:12:25Thank you.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29Current head chef James Hume has been overseeing
0:12:29 > 0:12:31the most recent refurbishment.
0:12:31 > 0:12:32Prince Harry was at the launch party.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38There is a sort of history of royals coming to Quaglino's, isn't there?
0:12:38 > 0:12:42Yeah, it goes back to the '30s when the old Prince of Wales came in.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44- He had his own room. - He had his own room?
0:12:44 > 0:12:46Yeah, there's a private dining room just behind you.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49We still call it 'The Prince of Wales' to this day.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52Fantastic. And I suppose he could have gone there and abandoned
0:12:52 > 0:12:53the formal dress codes of the day
0:12:53 > 0:12:56and sort of relaxed with his friends, presumably?
0:12:56 > 0:12:57Yeah, exactly.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00What was the menu like in the 1930s?
0:13:00 > 0:13:01So much different to today.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03Very, very classical French.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05Oh, really? And written in French?
0:13:05 > 0:13:07- All in French. - All in French.
0:13:07 > 0:13:08Yeah. It took me a while to translate them.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10POLLY LAUGHS
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Two decades later, following the royal abdication
0:13:13 > 0:13:15and post-war depression,
0:13:15 > 0:13:19a new set of young royals emerged and started to hit the town again.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21By the 1950s,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24the Princess Margaret was ready to party again
0:13:24 > 0:13:26and this is where she came.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28She used to have a cornered-off table called the Royal Enclosure.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30It was called the Royal Enclosure?
0:13:30 > 0:13:32Yeah, just for her, every night reserved.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35So she could be seen and see everyone else.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38I'm not surprised, because it is the most fabulous, glamorous,
0:13:38 > 0:13:40exciting place to be.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43In 1956, her sister, Queen Elizabeth,
0:13:43 > 0:13:46came and dined here, according to Quaglino's,
0:13:46 > 0:13:49and that was apparently the first reigning monarch
0:13:49 > 0:13:51- to ever come and eat in a restaurant.- Or so I'm told.
0:13:54 > 0:13:55By the 1960s, however,
0:13:55 > 0:13:59Princess Margaret sought out a different dining experience.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02Around the corner from Kensington Palace,
0:14:02 > 0:14:05this hideaway became a favourite for her and her husband,
0:14:05 > 0:14:07Anthony Armstrong-Jones.
0:14:07 > 0:14:12In 1965, when Princess Margaret and her husband used to come here
0:14:12 > 0:14:14to eat, these were her favourite booths to sit in.
0:14:14 > 0:14:19It's a space that's about intimacy, relaxing and feeling comfortable.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22That must have been the most wonderful thing
0:14:22 > 0:14:23if you were Princess Margaret.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27This new relaxed style of dining in the 1960s was a direct contrast
0:14:27 > 0:14:31to the traditional formality of eating out.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34To me, that really speaks of a moment in Britain
0:14:34 > 0:14:38where we are starting to question the sort of hierarchies and rules
0:14:38 > 0:14:41and that plays out in terms of food.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44The restaurant was originally named Nan's Kitchen in the 1960s,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47serving home-cooked food.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50It's said that their chicken pie was Princess Margaret's favourite
0:14:50 > 0:14:55and she enjoyed it so often that they changed the eaterie's name
0:14:55 > 0:14:56to Maggie Jones, in her honour.
0:14:56 > 0:15:01In the 1960s and the 1970s, Princess Margaret so loved this pie
0:15:01 > 0:15:04that she would send her butler from Kensington Palace
0:15:04 > 0:15:07to come and get one to eat at home.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10And I've heard that some members of the royal family
0:15:10 > 0:15:12still like to come here.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19Glamorous royal haunts in fashionable London
0:15:19 > 0:15:21but for many of the royals,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24their favourite haunts have been as far away from London
0:15:24 > 0:15:25as you can possibly get.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29Yeah, and ever since Queen Victoria they've been mad about Scotland.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31Yeah, the late Queen Mother in particular.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35She had that Castle of Mey right up in the north of Scotland.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Any further and you're in the Shetland Islands!
0:15:39 > 0:15:41The Castle of Mey's got its own cookbook
0:15:41 > 0:15:43with a foreword by Prince Charles,
0:15:43 > 0:15:47which gives you a bit of an insight into the way of life up there.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51Yeah, and today I'm going to prepare a Queen Mother's favourite -
0:15:51 > 0:15:53jam puffs - from that cookery book.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Also, it was one of my favourites when I was a little girl.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58So I'm going to show you how to make them today.
0:15:58 > 0:15:59OK. These are things you can gobble.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02Yes, yes, and it's super easy.
0:16:03 > 0:16:04All you need is some puff pastry.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07This shop-bought, roll-out puff pastry is perfectly fine.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10You just want to cut out...
0:16:11 > 0:16:14..as many discs as you feel your belly can take.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17MICHAEL LAUGHS
0:16:17 > 0:16:20But I think recipes like this are so special because you feel like you
0:16:20 > 0:16:24have a bit of insight into the kind of more normal or familiar side
0:16:24 > 0:16:27of the royal family. Especially if you can relate...
0:16:27 > 0:16:30Yeah, you get the sense with the Queen Mother up in the Castle of Mey
0:16:30 > 0:16:32that this was kind of,
0:16:32 > 0:16:34by royal standards, very simple country life
0:16:34 > 0:16:38and probably, looking at that cookbook as well,
0:16:38 > 0:16:42fairly simple, if rather upper-class, fare as well.
0:16:42 > 0:16:43Yeah, absolutely.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46- So we have all our discs here now. - Very neat.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49And we're going to make six of the mincemeat and six of the jam.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51So would you mind helping me with that?
0:16:51 > 0:16:53Would you do the jam ones and I'll do the mincemeat ones?
0:16:53 > 0:16:55- Absolutely.- OK, so...
0:16:55 > 0:16:56So what jam is this?
0:16:56 > 0:16:57This is apricot jam.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00So on one side you just want to give a bit like...
0:17:00 > 0:17:03Like a small teaspoon of jam.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05- Now, I will be judging you on this. - I know, I know.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08So if it's wrong, you'll be tidying up.
0:17:08 > 0:17:09You can do the washing up afterwards.
0:17:09 > 0:17:10You've got the easier one.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13It's difficult to get the jam off the spoon, isn't it?
0:17:13 > 0:17:15Yep. So try to keep it on one half, one side.
0:17:15 > 0:17:16All on one side? OK.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Well, you're going to fold it over, of course, aren't you?
0:17:19 > 0:17:22Exactly, and then we're going to put the egg wash on the other side.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24Here we go. Oh, I got a lot on that one.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26Yeah. Now, you're very slow.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29I'm streets ahead of you. I'm very fast so I'm just going to go ahead
0:17:29 > 0:17:30- with my egg wash.- OK.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33They love jam, the royals, don't they?
0:17:33 > 0:17:35Apparently at Buckingham Palace every Sunday
0:17:35 > 0:17:38they used to have something called jam pennies,
0:17:38 > 0:17:43which was actually just a jam sandwich cut into penny-shaped sizes
0:17:43 > 0:17:45by a cake cutter. I think it was mainly for the kids.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48- Yeah, I'm going to say, I would have loved that as a kid.- Yeah.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52- So you need to egg-wash your... - OK.- Come on, chop chop, let's go.
0:17:52 > 0:17:53All right. All right, chef.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55I'm going to start folding as you're doing it.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57- Oh, I'm making a mess of that. - And give it a good squeeze.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Actually, I think I've got a rare talent for this sort of thing.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03I think you do not, but let's keep going!
0:18:03 > 0:18:04I think you've just got high standards.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08You can't recognise potential when you see it staring you in the face!
0:18:08 > 0:18:10Ha-ha! OK, so when you've egg-washed them
0:18:10 > 0:18:14you want to fold them over and give them a really good squeeze,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17so you're kind of squeezing out the air of them
0:18:17 > 0:18:19and sealing it really, really well.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22Like a little fruit pasty, if you know what I mean?
0:18:22 > 0:18:25There's nothing to this cooking lark, is there?
0:18:25 > 0:18:28- No, it's easy-peasy, pie-squeezy. - Turn it over like that?- Yeah.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30- Then what do you do?- You're trying to tuck in the filling,
0:18:30 > 0:18:33- so that you've just got the pastry on the outside.- OK.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Ah, well, I shouldn't have been so greedy.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39The jam's coming out, look.
0:18:39 > 0:18:40ANNA LAUGHS
0:18:41 > 0:18:43Might have been a little bit too much jam in that!
0:18:43 > 0:18:44In all of them, yeah!
0:18:45 > 0:18:47- That's greed for you. It's a man thing.- Yeah.
0:18:47 > 0:18:48Here we go.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50Well, actually, the fun bit happens next.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54So now we're going to cut them out. This bit I actually quite like.
0:18:54 > 0:18:59As a little kid, this was definitely a side of it that I loved.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02Yeah, neatness wasn't the Queen Mother's thing, really,
0:19:02 > 0:19:03because they had jam puffs
0:19:03 > 0:19:08but I think the Queen Mother had a bit of a wicked sense of humour.
0:19:08 > 0:19:09Rather liked them as kind of...
0:19:11 > 0:19:12..booby traps for her guests.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14- Oh, dear!- I'll tell you more about it.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17So you're not going to tell me beforehand, you're going to booby-trap me?!
0:19:17 > 0:19:19Yeah, maybe I'm...
0:19:19 > 0:19:21I'm going to do what the Queen Mother did to her guests.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24- Is that revenge for me getting you to help me to bake?- Exactly.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26They go straight into the oven just like this.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29- We don't egg-wash the top of them. - No? Why's that?
0:19:29 > 0:19:32When we take them out we're going to dust them with icing sugar
0:19:32 > 0:19:36and then a bit of magic happens. You put them underneath a grill
0:19:36 > 0:19:39and they turn into this beautiful caramel mirror on top.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41- Wow.- It's lovely, yeah.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43I might leave these ones for later.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45Yeah. Yeah, absolutely.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48I'm going to put these straight into the oven
0:19:48 > 0:19:50for about 10 minutes at 180 degrees.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53Now, these ones are already cooked.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56But they're not finished, there's still one more stage to go.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59So if you just pass me the icing sugar there, please.
0:19:59 > 0:20:00- There we go.- And the sieve.
0:20:00 > 0:20:05- Yeah.- So all we're going to do is dust these with icing sugar on top
0:20:05 > 0:20:07and then we're going to grill it.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09We're going to grill it underneath...
0:20:09 > 0:20:11Just your normal grill but with the door open
0:20:11 > 0:20:12because you've got to keep an eye...
0:20:12 > 0:20:15- With the door open?- Door open. You've got to keep an eye on them.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18Within 30 seconds to 40 seconds,
0:20:18 > 0:20:22these will turn into caramelised kind of glazed mirrors
0:20:22 > 0:20:24sitting on top of your jam puffs.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26But it's really just a flash grill?
0:20:26 > 0:20:27Yeah. Nice and hot.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31OK, that's my kind of cooking, takes 30 seconds.
0:20:31 > 0:20:32That sounds wonderful to me.
0:20:32 > 0:20:33Yeah, that sounds right.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35Fast food!
0:20:35 > 0:20:38So I'm going to take this over to the oven.
0:20:38 > 0:20:39Ah!
0:20:39 > 0:20:40Come back soon.
0:20:46 > 0:20:47How's it going, Anna?
0:20:49 > 0:20:52OK, they're just starting to get crispy, Michael!
0:20:52 > 0:20:53That sounds good to me.
0:20:55 > 0:20:56How's it going, Anna?
0:20:59 > 0:21:00A couple of more minutes, Michael.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03If he keeps this up, I'm not going to let him eat them.
0:21:04 > 0:21:05Come on, Anna!
0:21:06 > 0:21:07They're ready!
0:21:08 > 0:21:10Oh!
0:21:10 > 0:21:14- Check these puppies out!- Wow!
0:21:14 > 0:21:16That looks really nice, doesn't it?
0:21:16 > 0:21:17Are we ready to try?
0:21:17 > 0:21:19Absolutely, yeah. Come on.
0:21:19 > 0:21:24Now, the Queen Mother had this really wicked trick with these.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28She'd set off on a picnic with her guests...
0:21:28 > 0:21:30- And they loved a picnic, the royals. - They loved a picnic.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33And they'd sit down and these would be served
0:21:33 > 0:21:35and the Queen Mother would say,
0:21:35 > 0:21:38"There's a traditional way to eat these things."
0:21:38 > 0:21:40You've got to bite the top off...
0:21:41 > 0:21:43Mm! Really nice, by the way.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49And you have to, traditionally, fill it up with cream.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51Oh, my God! What a mess!
0:21:51 > 0:21:53Wait a minute. Exactly.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55Fill it up with cream and then eat it.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59Now, there's no tradition whatsoever of doing this
0:21:59 > 0:22:01but the end result is... Watch...
0:22:06 > 0:22:08You can't do it without making a complete mess.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10Of course all the people in the presence of royalty,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13they've got their little fingers stuck up and all this sort of thing.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Yes!
0:22:15 > 0:22:17- I think it was rather cruel.- Yeah!
0:22:17 > 0:22:19- Are you going to have one?- Yeah, I'm going to have a go.
0:22:19 > 0:22:20Have one of my better ones.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24There's a tradition here, Anna.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26You've got to fill this up with cream.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30There you go. I just want to see you make a mess of yourself.
0:22:30 > 0:22:31I'm not going to make a mess.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33I'm not going to make a mess. I'm going to eat like a pro.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35Go on, go on! Go on!
0:22:39 > 0:22:44Mm! I don't care that I made a mess. those are really good.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46You were disappointingly neat about that, if I may say so.
0:22:46 > 0:22:47Disappointingly neat.
0:22:47 > 0:22:52Mainly because you shoved at all in your mouth, all in one!
0:22:52 > 0:22:55Well done. You managed the Queen Mother's obstacle course
0:22:55 > 0:22:58rather better than most of her guests ever did.
0:23:00 > 0:23:01I might have another one.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06A passion for jam puffs isn't the only royal favourite
0:23:06 > 0:23:08of the late Queen Mother.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10She also championed a rich egg and prawn dish
0:23:10 > 0:23:12created at another Scottish haunt.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Drumkilbo House in Perthshire is just six miles
0:23:17 > 0:23:21from the Queen Mother's childhood home of Glamis Castle.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23Once owned by her nephew,
0:23:23 > 0:23:26Drumkilbo was once often visited by the royal family.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30It was here that the Queen Mother first tasted
0:23:30 > 0:23:33their signature seafood delicacy, Eggs Drumkilbo.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Anna's here to find out the recipe's origins
0:23:37 > 0:23:39from the Lord of the Manor, Geoffrey Bunting.
0:23:41 > 0:23:42Welcome to Drumkilbo.
0:23:42 > 0:23:43- Hi.- I'm Geoffrey.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47This is the drawing room.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51Wow! My goodness, this place is fabulous.
0:23:51 > 0:23:57This house evolved out of a medieval fortification
0:23:57 > 0:24:00which belonged to the great Robert the Bruce.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03So, Geoffrey, tell me how did Eggs Drumkilbo come about?
0:24:03 > 0:24:10There was a royal party staying here in my predecessor's time
0:24:10 > 0:24:14and one member of the party was very late in arriving
0:24:14 > 0:24:19and they realised would not be here in time for dinner.
0:24:19 > 0:24:25And the chef, Gladys Davidson, improvised a cold dish to leave out
0:24:25 > 0:24:28for the final member of the party
0:24:28 > 0:24:31and that was the origin of Oeufs Drumkilbo,
0:24:31 > 0:24:36which was then picked up and used at later royal occasions.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40Waiting in the Drumkilbo House kitchen
0:24:40 > 0:24:45where this royal favourite was created is chef Mark Bull.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49It's a lovely dish. Very simple to make at home.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52We'll put some of the harder ingredients in first.
0:24:52 > 0:24:53The lobster...
0:24:54 > 0:24:55..then we put in our prawns.
0:24:55 > 0:25:00A bit of tomato puree, a small amount of Tabasco...
0:25:02 > 0:25:04The anchovy essence.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06I love anchovies. Get them in there.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11Give this a little bit of a mix around just now.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14You want everything... By the time you put the mayonnaise in,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17you want it all evenly mixed and not any lumps, as such.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19OK, so, we put the tomato in here now.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21Mm-hm.
0:25:21 > 0:25:22A lot of tomato goes in here.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24We come to the mayonnaise.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27That's a lot of mayonnaise.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29You don't want it to be pure fish that you're eating.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31It's like an upmarket prawn cocktail.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35So it does have to have its proper amounts of mayonnaise and...
0:25:35 > 0:25:38So, we'll mix this very lightly.
0:25:39 > 0:25:44You don't want to...mush up anything at all in here.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47Now, the last thing we put in, the eggs.
0:25:52 > 0:25:53Have a taste.
0:25:53 > 0:25:54Ah!
0:25:56 > 0:25:58- Mm! Oh, my God!- Good?
0:25:58 > 0:26:00Mm!
0:26:00 > 0:26:01So many different flavours.
0:26:01 > 0:26:02Mm!
0:26:02 > 0:26:03Next stage...
0:26:06 > 0:26:07I think I can help you with this.
0:26:07 > 0:26:08Yeah, you can. That's good.
0:26:08 > 0:26:09Of course, yeah.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15Yeah. Are we going to have enough for these?
0:26:15 > 0:26:16Yeah, we'll see, we'll see.
0:26:16 > 0:26:17We don't put too much in -
0:26:17 > 0:26:20you want it to have a bit of character, rather than just flat,
0:26:20 > 0:26:23as you've just done. That's good. Well done!
0:26:23 > 0:26:26We put little bit of garnish on them.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28Just a little piece of fancy tomato.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30Easy to do, put a little bit of slice through it.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32- I always like dill. - I love a bit of dill.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36I like dill with any kind of fish. It's nice and soft, plenty flavour.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41Is it true that the royals have used it often as a picnic dish?
0:26:41 > 0:26:42It was a favourite of the Queen Mother's
0:26:42 > 0:26:45but I know a lot of the royal family also like it.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47Do you reckon they're using the same recipe as you?
0:26:47 > 0:26:48I would hope so.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51So am I eating a dish fit for a queen?
0:26:51 > 0:26:55Well, you are. Now some people will change it a little bit
0:26:55 > 0:26:57but this is the original recipe.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01Eggs Drumkilbo has travelled far beyond its Perthshire roots.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04For staff travelling with the busy royals,
0:27:04 > 0:27:07an understanding of their personal tastes is essential.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Grant Harold here has been butler to Prince Charles and Prince William
0:27:14 > 0:27:18and Prince Harry, and been off on several trips to their haunts.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21You were based at Highgrove when you were Prince Charles's butler,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24but you went on tours with him to some of these places.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Absolutely, and I felt very lucky to be able to travel to Castle of Mey,
0:27:27 > 0:27:30and Balmoral Castle, Sandringham House
0:27:30 > 0:27:34and Holyrood obviously as well - the main residence in Scotland.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37So it was quite a privilege to be able travel round with him.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41Was it a fairly gamey affair? I mean, what are these places like?
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Some of them are huge, as you can imagine.
0:27:44 > 0:27:45They can be a little bit eerie.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48I remember being at the Castle of Mey, arriving up there
0:27:48 > 0:27:49and it was my first evening.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52I went to bed after obviously doing the dinner,
0:27:52 > 0:27:55as you can imagine, quite tired, sat on my bed and suddenly I felt
0:27:55 > 0:27:56this thing hit me in the back of the head,
0:27:56 > 0:27:58and I looked up and there was a bat.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01I thought, "Fantastic! Just what I've been always wanting,
0:28:01 > 0:28:02"a bat flying round the room."
0:28:02 > 0:28:05So I very quickly opened the window and it went back out.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07- Did you yell?- I did, actually.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10Yes, I did. I yelled rather loudly.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14I think the royals and the staff all could hear my screams.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16And being a butler there when you're on the road,
0:28:16 > 0:28:19is that different from being a butler back at Highgrove?
0:28:19 > 0:28:21- It's very much...- Do you mix more with the royals?
0:28:21 > 0:28:24Well, you do. I mean, you're still doing all the traditional jobs
0:28:24 > 0:28:25of a butler, serving the tables,
0:28:25 > 0:28:28looking after the guests, but at the same time,
0:28:28 > 0:28:31they actually allow you to get involved in, for example,
0:28:31 > 0:28:34the kind of balls that take place, the parties.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36I mean, I've been so lucky that I've been invited to many different
0:28:36 > 0:28:39royal events, including the Ghillies Ball,
0:28:39 > 0:28:42which is obviously quite a famous dance at Balmoral Castle.
0:28:42 > 0:28:43Have you danced with the Queen?
0:28:43 > 0:28:44I have danced with the Queen.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47I danced with the Queen and the Duchess of Cornwall
0:28:47 > 0:28:49and this was a dream of mine when I was a youngster.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51I remember watching a documentary about the Queen
0:28:51 > 0:28:53and seeing the Ghillies Ball and I thought it'd be amazing
0:28:53 > 0:28:55one day to actually get to dance with them.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57Little did I realise that probably about 20-odd years later
0:28:57 > 0:28:59I would be dancing with the Queen.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02Does Prince Charles take his own food with him from Highgrove?
0:29:02 > 0:29:04He's a bit of a foodie, isn't he?
0:29:04 > 0:29:07He's a huge believer in obviously food with...
0:29:07 > 0:29:08Being grown organically.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10Highgrove is a fantastic example of that.
0:29:10 > 0:29:15I think like anybody that believes in growing things the correct way,
0:29:15 > 0:29:18you know, the food will travel round, and he's passionate about it.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21You know, he really promotes organic food
0:29:21 > 0:29:24and obviously you can see that from Highgrove.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26I'll bear that in mind. Thanks.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30Prince Charles is always keen to talk about food,
0:29:30 > 0:29:32particularly with his chefs.
0:29:37 > 0:29:41One renowned chef who's very familiar with Highgrove produce
0:29:41 > 0:29:43is Anton Mosimann.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46Four generations of the royal family have enjoyed his cuisine
0:29:46 > 0:29:49and he's a firm favourite of Prince Charles.
0:29:49 > 0:29:54I was asked to cook for Prince Charles the first time in Prague
0:29:54 > 0:29:56for the Prague Heritage fund.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58350 people for four days.
0:30:00 > 0:30:01It was an incredible occasion.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06Most head of states of Europe were actually part of it.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10Since then, I have been cooking many, many meals for him.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14I must say, he loves his food.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17It's such a pleasure to have such a distinguished guest
0:30:17 > 0:30:18with such good taste.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20They both share a passion for food
0:30:20 > 0:30:23and how to grow the best quality ingredients.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26I was brought up with organic food.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29In those days there was nothing artificial.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31Everything was fresh from the farm.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34Not necessarily the most expensive ingredients, but the best.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39And you can do wonderful things with very basic, simple produce.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44His Royal Highness the Prince, very much in the same line.
0:30:44 > 0:30:48We have very much in common and when we talk about food
0:30:48 > 0:30:50it's always a fantastic pleasure.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53It's not just food this Michelin-starred chef uses,
0:30:53 > 0:30:57but his style of cooking that finds favour with royalty.
0:30:57 > 0:31:0125 years ago I created cuisine naturelle, a style of cooking
0:31:01 > 0:31:08without fat, without cream, without butter, less salt and less sugar.
0:31:08 > 0:31:09So instead of salt,
0:31:09 > 0:31:12I used fresh herbs and for less sugar
0:31:12 > 0:31:16I used orange juice, grapefruit, fruit juices to make it up.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21It's what I like to cook.
0:31:21 > 0:31:26And that's what people today like to eat because it's healthy, it's fun,
0:31:26 > 0:31:29it's sharing food and it's very honest food.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35Today, Anton is preparing a typical Highgrove dish.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38This dish is a saddle of lamb,
0:31:38 > 0:31:40Highgrove Lamb fillet.
0:31:40 > 0:31:42The quality is just outstanding.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45Look at the colour. No fat whatsoever.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48All just plain, pure meat.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50I can't really wait to tuck into it.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54I roast it with some fresh rosemary.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57As a garnish I have roast new potatoes,
0:31:57 > 0:31:59kale with some spinach,
0:31:59 > 0:32:01Brussels sprouts - just the leaves...
0:32:02 > 0:32:04..and carrots.
0:32:04 > 0:32:08First, we heat a bit of oil.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11Give that a bit of salt and pepper.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16You know, I'm a great believer that food should be seasoned
0:32:16 > 0:32:19before it's cooked because once the pores are closed,
0:32:19 > 0:32:21you can't season it any more.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23You have to season it beforehand.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29I just want to sear the lamb on both sides very quickly.
0:32:29 > 0:32:30Nice and brown.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33A piece of rosemary.
0:32:35 > 0:32:39The smell of fresh rosemary now is just so beautiful.
0:32:39 > 0:32:44Just fantastic. So off it goes in the oven for about three minutes.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54Anton has cooked for the grandest of occasions but many of his royal fans
0:32:54 > 0:32:58have also come to his private dining club in Belgravia.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02Here, I'm cooking for friends.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04I'm cooking for people I know.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07It is like a big family.
0:33:07 > 0:33:11It's fantastic. Only this week we had a head of state here.
0:33:11 > 0:33:13Because it's private, that's what people like.
0:33:16 > 0:33:17Back in the kitchen,
0:33:17 > 0:33:20after three minutes in the oven, the lamb is ready.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23Anton serves it with a red wine sauce...
0:33:24 > 0:33:26..perfect for any royal occasion.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29I had the pleasure of cooking
0:33:29 > 0:33:32for his Royal Highness's 50th birthday party
0:33:32 > 0:33:35and this exactly the kind of food he likes.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37He wants the best and, for me,
0:33:37 > 0:33:41that is exactly what I cook for - the best.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45And if this tasty dish observes the best principles of healthy eating,
0:33:45 > 0:33:48it surely allows for a spectacular dessert.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52Our palace kitchen maid Mildred Nicholls
0:33:52 > 0:33:55was clearly influenced by the chef Escoffier
0:33:55 > 0:33:59at the favourite royal haunt the Savoy when she created her...
0:34:03 > 0:34:06Pudding time now. Time to wind back the clock.
0:34:06 > 0:34:11Time to open the recipe book of our kitchen maid Mildred Nicholls,
0:34:11 > 0:34:13who, remember, worked in Buckingham Palace
0:34:13 > 0:34:14in the early years of the 1900s,
0:34:14 > 0:34:16and a wonderful pudding.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19Look, Anna - mille feuilles Mont Blanc.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22Mont Blanc's the mountain covered in snow,
0:34:22 > 0:34:24which might be appropriate later.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26Mille feuilles, 1,000 leaves.
0:34:26 > 0:34:27Escoffier's recipe, wasn't it?
0:34:27 > 0:34:29Yes, I think you're right. Yes.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32Royal chef, king of chefs. Do you think he was the king of chefs?
0:34:32 > 0:34:34Oh, well, I think it's up for debate.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38You know, there's been a few greats, but he's definitely up there.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40Are you going to do this, the very same recipe?
0:34:40 > 0:34:42I'm going to do it exactly the same as she did.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45- As Mildred did it 110 years ago? - Absolutely.
0:34:45 > 0:34:46What do you start with?
0:34:46 > 0:34:48OK, so start with our puff pastry.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50You need to cut out five disks.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53You need two cutters, one needs to be your large one
0:34:53 > 0:34:55and then a smaller one to cut out the centres.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57Now, this is the puff pastry, the thousand leaves
0:34:57 > 0:35:01Escoffier thing. In the school tuck shop it was called a cream slice.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03- Oh, right. This is a very posh... - Or vanilla slice.
0:35:03 > 0:35:04This is a posh cream slice.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06OK. So we're going to...
0:35:06 > 0:35:08These have been baked in the oven
0:35:08 > 0:35:10at about 180 degrees for about 20 minutes.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14So we're going to stick these discs of puff pastry together
0:35:14 > 0:35:18with an apricot jam. So I'm going to use a brush for this.
0:35:18 > 0:35:19We brush it all around.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22- You're going to make a tower of this stuff, are you?- That's right, yes.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24And use apricot jam as the glue?
0:35:24 > 0:35:26That's right, exactly.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29So it gives a bit of sweetness to it and, just like you say,
0:35:29 > 0:35:31it's like a glue. So we place it on top.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36You know I love building things. This looks like fun.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39And this will really make it stick, will it?
0:35:39 > 0:35:41Yes, this will make it stick because
0:35:41 > 0:35:44the jam has been warmed up so to make it more liquid. So then it is,
0:35:44 > 0:35:47it's like a little sweet glue holding it all together.
0:35:47 > 0:35:48It's quite a tower, isn't it?
0:35:48 > 0:35:53It is. Then we're going to fill the centre with some cream
0:35:53 > 0:35:54and some chestnut puree.
0:35:54 > 0:35:58So at the end we'll finish it as well with the marron glace.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01- You're putting some on the top as well?- Yeah.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03Because that's the top of your stack.
0:36:03 > 0:36:05Yeah, and I think it needs the sweetness as well, yeah.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08So tell me about the other ingredients you've got there.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11OK, so, you have your whipped cream,
0:36:11 > 0:36:15you've got your chestnut puree and you've got your marron glace.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17Now, marron glace is what?
0:36:17 > 0:36:19A crystalline horse...
0:36:19 > 0:36:21Not horse chestnut, chestnut.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23Yes, that's right. A very...
0:36:23 > 0:36:24The French love them, don't they?
0:36:24 > 0:36:25Yeah, they do love them.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28Now, I'm not 100% a massive fan.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31Why? I don't know, I think it's the texture
0:36:31 > 0:36:33- but I also think it's an acquired taste.- You're right.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35- Do you like them?- I don't know.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37- I'll see if I can acquire it. - Go for it.
0:36:37 > 0:36:38I'm pretty keen on nuts.
0:36:41 > 0:36:43How's that?
0:36:43 > 0:36:44UNCONVINCINGLY: Mm...
0:36:44 > 0:36:46I've acquired it. This minute.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49Oh, that's quite nice. I'll have that later.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51OK, so let's start with this.
0:36:51 > 0:36:53I'm going to start with the puree in the centre.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56- A spoonful...- So is that a pureed version...?
0:36:56 > 0:36:57Exactly. That's exactly it.
0:36:57 > 0:36:59It's a pureed... And you can buy chestnut puree,
0:36:59 > 0:37:01you don't have to make it yourself.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03OK. I'm going to put a little bit of cream in the centre.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05Oh, so you're doing this...
0:37:05 > 0:37:08So you want to fill the centre. It's like a surprise inside it,
0:37:08 > 0:37:11so nobody knows that that's there until you cut into it.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14So another big spoon of that.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16So you're doing a layer each of these as well?
0:37:16 > 0:37:18Yeah. The whole thing is in layers
0:37:18 > 0:37:20- but this is cream and the pureed chestnut?- Yeah.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24It's quite a unique cake.
0:37:24 > 0:37:26I've never seen anything like this before.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28But then it's a combination of two things, isn't it?
0:37:28 > 0:37:31I mean, the mille feuilles is one thing
0:37:31 > 0:37:34and Mont Blanc, that is a cake all to itself, isn't it?
0:37:34 > 0:37:37You're so knowledgeable. Honestly, I think you're teaching me!
0:37:37 > 0:37:39You know how it is. Years of experience!
0:37:39 > 0:37:44But that's right, isn't it? Mont Blanc is a cake in and of itself?
0:37:44 > 0:37:45With chestnuts. Oh, right.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49And presumably it's got cream on the top like the snow on the mountain?
0:37:49 > 0:37:51Yeah. OK, so...
0:37:51 > 0:37:52Oh, my God!
0:37:52 > 0:37:54So plenty of cream on top.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58It's a Weight Watchers cake, isn't it(?)
0:37:58 > 0:38:01Yeah, no, you're not on a diet when you're eating this.
0:38:01 > 0:38:02Surely not. Golly.
0:38:02 > 0:38:04Whoa!
0:38:04 > 0:38:06OK. Yeah!
0:38:06 > 0:38:09So the whole idea is to pile it up on top
0:38:09 > 0:38:12then gently nudge it around the sides.
0:38:12 > 0:38:13That's why you want it
0:38:13 > 0:38:16kind of top-heavy, so it can kind of drip down.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19Now, tell me, Mildred was a pastry chef at Buckingham Palace.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22Yep. And she was there, I don't know, 14-15 years,
0:38:22 > 0:38:25and she managed to get from being seventh pastry chef
0:38:25 > 0:38:26to being third or fourth pastry chef...
0:38:26 > 0:38:29- Which would have been a huge thing. - Over that whole career.
0:38:29 > 0:38:30But that would have been a huge thing
0:38:30 > 0:38:33because once you got a job like that, you'd never let go of it.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36So you'd be waiting for people to be dropping like flies
0:38:36 > 0:38:37before you could get promoted.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40- But you were a pastry chef. - I was... God, many, many moons ago.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42Now you're an executive chef and a real boss.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44- Yes.- A tyrant I think they call you.
0:38:44 > 0:38:45A tyrant, yeah.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47Over a couple of restaurants.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50Nobody would dare say that to my face but...no, I'm not a tyrant.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52But you've had the opportunity for promotion
0:38:52 > 0:38:54that she presumably wouldn't have had.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57No, but I mean, it's a different world now.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01Cooking for back then... I mean, the opportunities are huge.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04Back then, to work for the royals, you know,
0:39:04 > 0:39:06that's the best job she could have gotten.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10Presumably, she'd never have been first pastry chef,
0:39:10 > 0:39:11let alone like you, an executive chef.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14Well, I mean, she probably wouldn't have been allowed
0:39:14 > 0:39:16- because she was a woman.- Yeah.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18That was left for the boys to be in charge.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20So you're putting pistachios on the top.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22Yeah, I'm going to put pistachios on the top, and quite generous.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24Give it a sprinkle.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26Why? Well, it looks nice but...
0:39:26 > 0:39:28it gives it a crunchy top to it?
0:39:28 > 0:39:30It a lovely crunchy top
0:39:30 > 0:39:32and a lovely flavour off your pistachios as well.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35- So, now I'm going to...- Whoa!
0:39:35 > 0:39:38I know, actually, it's pretty heavy!
0:39:38 > 0:39:40- Oh...- This is the bit...
0:39:40 > 0:39:41Don't drop, don't drop!
0:39:41 > 0:39:43Well done.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46I was never going to drop it.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49OK, so now I'm going to bring this to here.
0:39:49 > 0:39:50I think in Mildred's recipe
0:39:50 > 0:39:53she does mention placing the marron glace around...
0:39:53 > 0:39:54- On the side?- Yeah.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57I have a feeling this is partly her creation.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59I don't know why I think that but, just reading the recipe,
0:39:59 > 0:40:02I feel like there's an interpretation from her.
0:40:02 > 0:40:03She made it her own?
0:40:03 > 0:40:06Well, perhaps. I'm sure there would have been opportunities for them...
0:40:06 > 0:40:08To experiment?
0:40:08 > 0:40:09Yeah, there must have been.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12Well, they must have spent long, long hours in the kitchens.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15Also, I think Mildred did mention the idea that
0:40:15 > 0:40:18she just piped a little bit of cream in between each one.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20This decoration, isn't it?
0:40:20 > 0:40:23And you kind of hoped you'd get one of the marron glace in your slice?
0:40:23 > 0:40:25Well, that's what you'd be hoping for. Well, that's what you...
0:40:25 > 0:40:27Unless it's me! That's what I'M hoping for!
0:40:27 > 0:40:29We're perfectly matched here because
0:40:29 > 0:40:32you don't particularly want the marron glace, do you?
0:40:32 > 0:40:34No, I don't but I wonder if I were to make this for myself,
0:40:34 > 0:40:38what might be a nice alternative could even be any fresh fruit.
0:40:38 > 0:40:40- Yeah.- Because it's cream and pastry,
0:40:40 > 0:40:42it could be lovely with some strawberries.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44Something to cut into that softness of the taste.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46Yeah, it could be quite nice.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48OK, shall I put that over here? There we go.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50I might have a bit more of my marron glace.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53So there we have it - mille feuilles Mont Blanc.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56- Tricky thing to cut, I would imagine.- Yes.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58But don't let that put you off.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01It's not going to put me off because you're going to cut it!
0:41:04 > 0:41:06OK. Here we go.
0:41:06 > 0:41:07Righto.
0:41:07 > 0:41:08Let's put that there.
0:41:11 > 0:41:13OK. Oh, yes.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15Yes, yes, yes. It's going through.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17Mind you, I am rather good at this sort of stuff.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20Oh! OK.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23Is that about the right size, do you think?
0:41:23 > 0:41:24Yeah, I think, as a portion.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26I don't want to wreck it.
0:41:26 > 0:41:27Don't wreck it.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34I'm not sure I've gone all the way to the bottom.
0:41:34 > 0:41:35There we go.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38- Now, have I made a complete horlicks this?- Looks OK.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41You don't sound terribly convinced.
0:41:41 > 0:41:42I'm not convinced.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45Here we go.
0:41:45 > 0:41:46There!
0:41:46 > 0:41:47- That's not bad.- That's not bad!
0:41:49 > 0:41:51Oh, there we go.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54Now, I missed the...marron.
0:41:56 > 0:41:58There we go. I'll pop it on the back.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01You can eat that because I'm not interested in the marron glace.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04I'll have the marron glace. What about you having the other bit?
0:42:04 > 0:42:05- Go on.- OK.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13That wasn't exactly a big bite.
0:42:13 > 0:42:14What's it like?
0:42:14 > 0:42:17I'm being careful. It's delicious.
0:42:17 > 0:42:18- Is it?- Mm!- OK.
0:42:24 > 0:42:25Mm!
0:42:25 > 0:42:28Takes you back to the school tuck shop!
0:42:28 > 0:42:31I mean, that was a bit better and I was a bit younger.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34Keep going. Go on, have a bit more.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36No, I'm OK. I think I'll leave it up to you.
0:42:36 > 0:42:40Mm! No, I like it and I'm going to finish it off.
0:42:40 > 0:42:44It's going to take me a bit of time, and we have to go, I'm afraid.
0:42:44 > 0:42:48That's it from the celebrations of delicious
0:42:48 > 0:42:51and sometimes rather wicked royal haunts.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53See you next time.