fête (& food) for a queen

In honor of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, a menu of right royal pedigree is reigning supreme inside London’s Roux at The Landau. Through June 9th, Executive Chef Chris King – with the input of father and son chefs Albert and Michel Roux Jr. – is showcasing a Jubilee option at the celebrated eatery, marked by a crown on each of the daily lunch and pre-theatre menus, reflecting traditional dishes with blue-blood backstorys that have been given a twenty-first century spin. I recently got a glimpse of three of the dishes, but I’d expect there’s going to be a few more sovereign surprises up this King’s sleeve.

In 1952, the year of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation, Albert Roux moved to London from France and worked as an apprentice at Cliveden, the illustrious Berkshire country house where he often served soft Cotswold Legbar Hen’s Egg à la Reine  to the likes of Lady Astor. Sporting the title à la Reine, meaning “to the Queen,” the dish is a combination of chicken and foie gras poached in Madeira then bound with truffled mayonnaise and used to fill a traditional brioche a tete. A soft-poached Cotswold Legbar hen’s egg is perched on top and garnished with slices of summer truffle. Roux went on to earn three Michelin stars at Le Gavroche, yet still recalls the dish as one of his most refined – and who can blame him.

Often referred to as the “King of Chefs and the Chef of Kings,” the great Chef Escoffier was born in France but resided in London for many years. He took great delight in naming his dishes after famous people or places, but one dish in particular proved to take the fancy of royalty: Gewürztraminer Poached Var Salmon Royale. And not just because of the royal honorific – when any of Escoffier’s fish dishes ended with the word royale it meant the garnish was crayfish. In this version wild Var salmon is poached in an aromatic Gewürztraminer court bouillon and served with a kingly version of Escoffier’s original garnish – shelled crayfish tails, tiny quenelles of herbed salmon mousseline, and a parisienne of potatoes flavored with crayfish essence.

Hereford Strawberry Queen of Puddings sounds like a champion bitch at the Westminster Show but it’s actually a dessert made famous by Queen Victoria – Britain’s longest-serving monarch – following a trip up north to Manchester. The local residents felt their custard and strawberry jam pudding was too plain for the Queen so they added meringue to dress it up. Her Royal Highness loved it so much it became a staple. The Roux version is much lighter than the original recipe yet calls for rich custard thickened with brioche crumbs. It’s offset with a lightly-set fragrant jam of Hereford strawberries from Oakchurch farm and a mound of glazed Italian meringue.

Roux at The Landau  is in the legendary Langham, which opened in 1865 as Europe’s first Grand Hotel. The hotel also happens to serve one of the swankiest afternoon teas in town in collaboration with luxury goods brand Asprey – yet another excuse to toast British heritage and 60 years of The Queen.

Share

live blog: tea (towel) for two, or prezzies

 

Share

royally absentminded

That’s right, it seems I forgot about the stiff upper lip nuptials taking place in Westminster Abbey today.  (I blame the chorizo) Since I’ve dropped the royal wedding ball, so to speak, why don’t we make it a Windsor Weekend? In honor of Wills and Kate and all the tacky tat being hawked across the UK right now (don’t forget my tea towel, Róisín!), I’m going to share with you a few of my favorite London bits. Namely that thing Brits do quite unlike anyone else: hotels. Let the honeymoon begin.

Share

on the steps of the palace

Spain’s grandiose Palacio Real quite obviously had designs on being heralded as an Iberian Versailles. The 2,800 room Italianate baroque colossus built by Felipe V never quite managed to challenge its European counterparts, but its soaring white facade is pretty magnificent – as are the fifty rooms open to the public; the highlights of which are the Royal Pharmacy, Royal Armory, the Porcelain Room, and the Throne Room with its Tiepolo ceiling and crimson velvet walls. Perhaps embarrassed by the imperial extravagance of it all, Spain’s current ruling family lives in more republican digs, dropping by the family manse only when duty calls. And while we’re on the subject of duty: all this pomp’s got me thinking I’m forgetting something royally important today …

Share

on the steps of the palace

The only surviving Portuguese palace which can be traced to the Middle Ages, the National Palace of Sintra is smack in the heart of the historic town. It’s two distinctively over-sized funnel chimneys distinguish an otherwise unprepossessing exterior.  (At first glance I mistook the building for another, wondering why a handful of tourists were lined up in front of the local power plant.) It’s provenance can be traced to the time of Islamic domination thanks to a historical reference by an Arab geographer in the 10th century. Unlike the Moorish castle up the hill which was used for defensive purposes – not Pena Palace but another one called Castle of the Moors; Sintra, didn’t I tell you?, is coming down with palace castles – the National Palace was built as the official residence for the governors of Lisbon, hence it’s demure exterior. When Lisbon was reconquered in 1147, Sintra surrendered and the Palace became the property and residence of the Kings of Portugal, who built and rebuilt for 800 years, adding towers and extensions up until the monarchy was dumped in the early 20th century. It’s a hodgepodge, to be sure; but a beautiful one, with jewel box interiors that belie its simple facade. The painted vaults of the Swan’s Room are a perfect example of the Portuguese baroque, or Manueline, style.  Off the central patio is the theatrical Bath Grotto, a sort of cold room that was later decorated with tile panels and rocaille stucco that holds an ingenious system of water spouts hidden in the grouting seams. The Coast of Arms room is one of the most important heraldic rooms in Europe:  the peak of the eight-sided vault is a clear allegory of King Manuel’s power, showing the Portuguese coat of arms surmounted by a winged dragon and flanked by the arms of seventy-two families of Portuguese nobility.  Tradition has it that fleets setting out or returning from Africa, Brazil or India could be seen from this room, which has a westerly view over the Atlantic. On the lower level is the 13th century Palace Chapel, one of the first additions made by the returning Kings. The ceiling is a magnificent combination of tile paving and frescoes.  As was customary in attempting to avoid the risk of fire, the kitchen was at a safe remove from the other rooms.  Some six hundred years later those funnel chimneys are still up to code, moreover, and the kitchen continues to be used for official banquets.

Share

of kitsch and kings

The countdown to the royal nuptials of Wills and Kate has begun. Only three months to go and Britain’s got a serious dose of Royal Wedding Fever.  Visitors to London should expect to be bombarded at every turn with the faces of the newest newlyweds:  spoons, scarves, china, useless bric-a-brac, and the ever-popular – and practical – tea towel; few things make the British public as a happy as a kitschy commemorative.

Didn’t get your invite?  No worries.  Windsormania is so firmly embedded in the national psyche you’ll feel like a member of the wedding just by being there.  Or you can join William and Kate’s Royal Wedding Walk and visit the London locations and landmarks that helped define the next Royal golden couple. You’ll learn about “Kate’s fascinating life prior to joining ‘the firm’, and hear firsthand the whole story, from William’s cherished mother Diana, to Kate’s engagement ring, and all the gossip in between.” For $1,995, The British Royal Wedding Escape will take you on a private tour of the procession route before the big day. Plus, after the wedding you’ll get a private tour of Windsor Castle.

The homage that takes the teacake, however, comes courtesy of Shropshire’s 18th century Hadley Park House Hotel and restaurant.  To celebrate Prince William and Kate’s happy day the hotel is offering a free wedding reception on April 29, 2011 to any couple with their namesake.

Share

Proudly powered by WordPress
Theme: Esquire by Matthew Buchanan.