The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook (36 page)
Read The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook Online
Authors: Emily Ansara Baines
If at all possible, use chopped chocolate bars or chunks instead of chips for melting. Chocolate chips are made with less cocoa butter so as to keep their shape for chocolate-chip cookies, which makes them harder to melt and less useful for this purpose. Also, it would be historically inaccurate to use chocolate chips, as they did not exist until 1937. Before then, cooks like Mrs. Patmore would have to chop their own chocolate.
S
USTENANCE FOR THE
S
TAFF
The aristocrats of Downton Abbey aren’t the only inhabitants of the great house who eat well! After all, the staff would need a hearty base to keep their energy going during their incredibly strenuous 10- to 12-hour days. While the dishes you’ll find in this part aren’t nearly as decadent as those in Part 1, these recipes are just as filling and, for many palates, infinitely more delectable! Here you’ll uncover recipes for many classic British dishes such as Pub Grub Bangers and Mash, Spicy Pub Fish and Chips, Shepherd’s Pie, and Treacle Tart! Be careful, though — the Downton Abbey staff had a vigorous day to work off the calories from these filling meals… if you eat three (or four) of these dishes a day, you too might want to clean a house with more rooms than people!
H
EARTY
B
REAKFASTS TO
S
TART THE
W
ORK
D
AY
While the masters and mistresses of the house slept until a reasonable hour, the staff would wake early to start their preparations for the day: opening drapes, lighting fires, dusting, and sweeping the floors. Using the servants’ back staircases, they would proceed to wake the family around 9
A.M.
But before they started all of their work, the servants needed to eat so they had energy to greet their day. Whether it be a simple plate of baked beans, deviled kidneys, or a bowl of porridge, the following breakfast recipes are sure to put a little extra pep in anyone’s step — including yours!
At Downton Abbey, where the staff must wake up hours before sunrise just to make sure that everything is running in perfect condition for the Downton Abbey aristocrats and their guests, a hearty breakfast is key. After all, many of the staff won’t have even a moment to eat until much later in the afternoon. As kipper is a traditional breakfast and snack food in England, serving it with fried eggs and rosemary potatoes guarantees a filling dish sure to please even the snobbiest of staff members, including footman Thomas.
1
1
⁄
2
pounds small red bliss potatoes, quartered
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
1
⁄
4
cup chopped white onion
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
2 teaspoons sea salt
1
⁄
2
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1
⁄
4
cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 kippered herring fillets
4 large eggs
Oregano seasoning to taste
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a pot of boiling water, cook potatoes until just barely tender. Drain.
- Toss potatoes with rosemary, onion, garlic, sea salt, black pepper, and olive oil. Evenly transfer potato mixture to a large baking sheet and roast for 30–35 minutes until browned, cooked through, and very fragrant.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Once melted, add kipper fillets, cooking about 5 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
- In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter. Once simmering, crack eggs over skillet, one right next to the other. Cook sunny-side up. Once eggs are cooked to your liking, season with oregano, then serve immediately while kippers and potatoes are still warm.
A kipper is a split, salted, and smoked herring. A
red herring
, a phrase often used in mystery novels, is a purposely misleading object or fact. The phrase came about in the 1800s when British fugitives would rub herring across their trail to divert and confuse the bloodhounds chasing after them.
Another import from colonial India, Spicy Classic Kedgeree — often a mix of flaked fish, boiled rice, onions, and hard-boiled eggs — was a commonly enjoyed breakfast dish, especially during the Victorian era when the Dowager Countess grew up. Before it was possible to refrigerate leftover food, this dish was a great way to rid oneself of pesky leftovers. That said, both the staff and the Crawleys would enjoy starting their day by eating this meal.
1
1
⁄
2
pounds haddock fillets
4 fresh bay leaves
1
1
⁄
2
cups long-grain basmati rice
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 heaping tablespoons curry powder
2 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
2 lemons, juiced
4 large eggs, hard-boiled
1
⁄
2
cup fresh coriander, chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
- Place haddock and bay leaves in a shallow pan with just enough water to cover. Bring mixture to boil, then cover and simmer for 5–10 minutes or until cooked through. Remove fish from pan and allow to cool. If skin is on fish, remove it and then flake fish into bite-sized chunks and set aside.
- In a medium-sized pot, boil rice in salted water for 15 minutes. Drain hot water, then rinse rice in cold water, draining again. Place rice in refrigerator to cool until needed.
- Melt butter in a medium-sized sauté pan on low heat. Add ginger, onion, and garlic. Allow to cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, then stir in curry powder. Cook for an additional 3–5 minutes, then add in chopped tomatoes and lemon juice.
- Quarter the eggs. Add haddock and rice to sauté pan and gently heat through. Add eggs, followed by the coriander and chives. Serve in a warm bowl.
If breakfast is offered to guests late, it is custom to precede the meal by sending coffee, tea, and even some eggs and rolls with jam or butter to the bedrooms of the esteemed family. If this is the case, it is likely that some family members will choose to not come down until much later, perhaps not until lunchtime. As breakfast is supposed to be a less-restrained and less-formal meal, this is perfectly acceptable and even polite.
A popular breakfast for the English upper class, this dish would be a staple at the Grantham household breakfast table. And if the Crawleys were feeling particularly benevolent, perhaps there would be room in the budget for the staff to enjoy this meal too.
8 lamb kidneys
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1
⁄
2
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1
⁄
2
teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon red wine
1
1
⁄
2
cups chicken stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 slices whole-wheat bread, toasted
Parsley, finely chopped (to season)
- Using a sharp knife, remove gristle and internal membrane from each kidney.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine all-purpose flour, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Coat each kidney in this flour mixture, then shake well to remove excess.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once melted, add kidneys and cook until each side is browned, about 3 minutes per side.
- Add Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, red wine, and chicken stock to skillet, whisking thoroughly to combine ingredients. Lower heat and simmer kidneys for another 3 minutes per side.
- Still simmering the stock, place kidneys on a wooden cutting board. Allow to cool. Once stock has thickened, remove skillet from heat and season to taste.
- Slice each kidney into 3–4 pieces and place on toast. Serve drizzled with chicken stock mixture and top with parsley.