Royal Recipe: Spaghetti Bolognese

6 - 8 oz spaghetti
Parmesan Cheese

For the Bolognese sauce:

1 can tomatoes
1 small can tomato puree
approx 6 oz minced beef
2 oz mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 pint good brown stock
2 oz butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, shreaded
1/2 - 1 clove of garlic (optional)
seasoning

Heat the butter in the pan, crush the garlic and gently fry it for 4-5 minutes along with the onion, mushrooms and carrot. Add the tomato puree and cook for a minute. Now stir in the minced beef and continue cooking until done. Add the stock and tomatoes, season to taste, and simmer until the sauce thickens.

The spaghetti should be cooked in briskly boiling salted water. Strain it and pour the sauce over it. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Source: Dinner at Buckingham Palace Page 66.

© Marilyn Braun 2008

Royal Recipe: Bread and Butter Pudding

3 slices thin bread and butter
2 oz currants or sultanas
1 egg
1/2 pint milk
1/2 oz sugar
nutmeg

Grease a pie dish with butter and place it in a layer of bread and butter (butter side up), which has been cut into neat strips. Sprinkle with fruit and sugar. On top of this place another layer of bread and butter strips, and sprinkle them similarly. Continue until all has been used, remembering not to put fruit on the top layer.

Beat the egg and then add the milk, which should have been heated almost to boiling point. Strain this mixture over the bread, then grate the nutmeg over it. Allow to stand for 1/2 hour to allow the bread to swell. Now bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, until the pudding has set firm and is evenly browned on top.

Source: Dinner at Buckingham Palace page 170

© Marilyn Braun 2008

Royal Recipe: Soupe à l'Oignon

3 large onions
2 oz butter
2 oz cheese, grated
1 heaped teaspoon plain flour
1 teaspoon castor sugar
2 - 2 1/2 pints of water
French bread slices
seasoning

Slice the onions into thin rings. In a thick pan, heat the butter then add the onion rings and season well. Keep stirring carefully over a medium heat, taking care not to burn the onions, until their color changes to golden brown. This should take at least 20 minutes. Next, steadily add the flour, stirring all the time. Pour in the water and sugar, and allow the pan to simmer gently for 15 minutes.

Spread the slices of French bread with a thin layer of butter and then evenly cover them with grated cheese. Now arrange them in a hot soup tureen and carefully pour in the soup. Cover the tureen and keep it warm for 5 minutes before serving.

Variations:

Sieve the onions before pouring the soup into the tureen.

Evenly brown the bread and cheese beneath a hot grill before placing in the tureen.

Use vegetable stock instead of water and good dripping instead of butter.

From the book: Dinner at Buckingham Palace Page 41

© Marilyn Braun 2008

Royal Recipe: Scones

I recently bought a book called Dinner at Buckingham Palace. It's a collection of anecdotes, rarely seen photographs, authentic recipes and menus from the royal household. This book is based on the diaries of Charles Oliver, a servant who lived and worked for most of his life within the palace. It was a hobby of his to collect royal menus and recipes. This book, published after his death, is a compilation of these recipes. Starting with a brief history of royal cooking it goes from Breakfast (eggs) to Tea, Soup, Savories, Fish, Meat, Poultry, Vegetables, Desserts and Wine. Also included are menus for every month of the year. Even if you don't cook any of these recipes, it can still be enjoyed as a fascinating insight into a rarely seen part of the royal household.

I thought it would be interesting, from time to time, to feature some of the more straightforward recipes. So, here's the first one: Scones.

Ingredients

8 oz flour
2 oz margarine
2 oz sugar
2 oz currants
1 egg for mixing
small amount of milk (optional)
1 teaspoon of cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
egg to glaze

Make a soft dough by mixing the ingredients, including the egg (and a little milk if necessary). Place on a lightly floured board and gently roll or pat out the dough to a thickness of about 3/4-1 inch. Using a small plain cutter, cut out the scones and put them in a greased tin, making sure they are well spaced out. Brush them over with a smear of beaten egg and bake in a hot oven (450 degrees F) for about 10 minutes.

Source: Dinner at Buckingham Palace, page 24.

© Marilyn Braun 2008

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