I wrapped the monkfish in Parma Ham, vacuum packed it and cooked it in my Sous-Vide Supreme at 143 for 18 minutes. once it came out, I patted the fish dry with paper towel  and seared in a little olive oil until the Parma ham was crisp.

The never fail tender monkfish wrapped in the crispy Parma ham was a huge success at my dinner table. I served it with some marinated grilled portabella mushrooms and a tomato broth. Yum, healthy and delicious.

Caramel Chocolate Trifle

Caramel Chocolate Trifle

Serves 6

For the sponge base;

1 cup plus 2 Tbs sugar

2 sticks butter

4 eggs

1 ¼ cups self rising flour

½ cup dark cocoa

For the mousse filling;

½ cup sugar

2 Tbs water

1 cup heavy cream

2 ½ Tbs butter

7 ounces milk chocolate

3 egg yolks

3 egg whites

1 cup Baileys Irish cream

1 15oz can pears

1 cup heavy cream, whipped stiff

1 Heath bar, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line with parchment a 9x12x2 roasting pan.

Prepare the sponge by beating the sugar and butter until creamy. Add the eggs and beat until combined. Fold in the flour and cocoa and spoon into the prepared pan. Bake for about 15 minutes until the sponge springs back when pressed. Remove from the oven to a cooling rack to cool. Cut the sponge in half and freeze one half. Cut the remaining half into 1 inch chunks and place on the bottom a large glass serving bowl.

Prepare the mousse by putting the sugar and water into a small heavy based pan over high heat. Do not stir, swirl the pan as the sugar starts to brown. Cook to a dark caramel and remove from the heat. Add the butter and cream and then the chocolate and whisk until smooth. Beat in the egg yolks and remove to a large bowl. Whip the egg whites until stiff fold into the chocolate mix.

Pour the Baileys Irish cream over the sponge. Drain and dice the pears into bite size pieces and lay on top of the sponge. Pour the chocolate caramel mousse over the pears and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Spread the 1 cup of whipped cream over the set mousse and sprinkle the Heath bar over the top just before serving.

Last night I catered the launch party (foodie pics to follow) and recreated a chocolate version of his “Thames Skiff” piece currently on display at Kew Gardens, London.

I am not a big fan of steakhouses, which is a shame because we have a bazillion of them in Dallas. And admittedly their is not a lot you can do on the creative flair scene when you are serving a “steak on a plate”  One thing always puzzles me though. Why do so many steakhouses insist on “saucing” the plate before it leaves the kitchen ? With just the steak, gravy/sauce/jus on the plate (along with a bit of decorative greenery) the plate always looks like my eight year olds plate when he has carried it himself to the table from the buffet. Too much to ask for synchronized pouring once the plates are on the table ? But I digress…

While most of the food served at the taste testing is still in prototype mode have to say that the food we tried was delicious. not just the appetizers, but the incredibly different side dishes that you don’t see on the “blah-blah” steakhouse menus. While no one told us not to discuss the menu items, I won’t… yet. But be assured, SER is not going to be “just another steakhouse” come October… and I am not talking about the view.

The most widely recognized symbol of St George’s Day is St George’s cross. This is a red cross on a white background, which is often displayed as a flag. It is used as England’s national flag, forming part of the Union Flag, the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. While “St Georges Day is not celebrated to a great degree across England it is however an important day for the royal family. The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St. George as England’s patron saint, and is bestowed on recipients from Her Majesty’s 54 Commonwealth realms.

Garter Day represents the best in British pomp and Pageantry when at Windsor Castle each year the Knights of the Garter gather for a ceremony at St Georges Chapel, Windsor and then form a procession up to Windsor Castle where Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II hosts a lunch party. While the entree changes every year the dessert stays the same… “Framboises St George” A sort of Raspberry fool shaped like the English flag.

Here’s the recipe from the royal kitchens for you to make at home to celebrate St Georges Day…

Framboises St Georges

 To make an authentic Raspberries St George you will need a rectangular dish like the one shown in the picture. This will make it easier for your guests to identify the Cross of Saint George.  By the way, the Cross of St. George is the true flag of England, not the Union flag (Jack) as most everyone supposes.  Of course, if you are not feeling compelled to create the English flag, you can assemble the fools in individual balloon wine glasses topped with fresh raspberries, fresh mint and whipped cream. If you really want to WOW your friends, serve this dish alongside the shortbread from the Balmoral section of my cookbook Eating Royally, recipes and remembrances from a palace kitchen. Bet you don’t get any leftovers.

1 quart fresh raspberries, divided

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract paste

Whipped cream

Puree half (2 cups) of the fresh raspberries to a pulp. Strain them through a fine sieve to remove all seeds.  In a large bowl whip the heavy cream with the granulated sugar and vanilla extract until stiff. Without over beating, carefully fold the raspberry puree into the whipped cream mix and set aside.

In the rectangular serving dish arrange the remaining fresh raspberries side by side so as to make a large red cross in the dish. Lay another layer of raspberries on top. Divide the raspberry fool into the four corners of the dish taking care not to disturb the raspberry cross in the center. Using a spatula smooth the fool until each of the four quarters are flat.

Place additional whipped cream in a piping bag with a star tube. Highlight the whole raspberry cross by piping small rosettes of cream along each sides of the cross.

Makes 10 servings

Just like most of us who have family recipes passed down from mom and grandma , the royals have a family birthday cake recipe that dates back to Queen Victoria and written by her chef Gabriel Tschumi who rattled pans in the royal kitchens as long ago as 1899. It’s a recipe that I fine tuned for Queen Elizabeth II and made for her twice a year because Her Majesty has an official birthday in June and real birthday in April each year.

But it’s not just the Queen who loves this decadent chocolate treat. Every member of the royal family requests “The” Chocolate Birthday Cake too. And every cake looks the same because the pastry chefs are instructed never to write a name on the cake… just “Happy Birthday” …  Never Happy Birthday Your Majesty or even Happy Birthday Queenie !

Here’s the recipe, try it for your next birthday or just as a luxury dessert treat… after all it IS Diamond Jubilee year and besides, everyone loves chocolate… and Eating Royally !

“The” Chocolate Birthday Cake

Makes about 10 portions.

The sponge;

6 egg yolks

2 eggs

4 oz granulated sugar

2 oz flour

1 oz Dutch cocoa powder

2 oz melted butter

The topping and filling;

1 pint heavy cream

1 lb ghirardelli dark chocolate

At least 6 hours before baking the cake prepare the filling. Melt 8 oz of the chocolate and bring to the boil ½ pint of the cream.

Pour the cream onto the chocolate and whisk it until smooth, then refrigerate until set.

Turn on the oven to 350 degrees and set a pan (large enough to hold a mixing bowl) half full of hot water on the stove and bring the water to a boil. Line an 8 inch sponge tin with parchment paper and grease.

In a mixing bowl add the eggs, yolks and sugar and whisk together. Place over the bowl of hot water to allow the mixture to heat up.

Sieve the flour and cocoa and set aside.

Whisk the egg mixture until it doubles in volume and then fold in the butter and flour mixture. Spoon the mix into the cake tin and bake for about 20 minutes until the sponge springs back when pressed.

Remove from the oven onto a cooling wire and make the topping while the sponge cools.

Melt the remaining 8 oz of chocolate and bring to the boil the remaining ½ pint of cream. Pour the cream onto the chocolate and whisk it until smooth and then set aside off the heat.

  Slice the sponge into three discs and spread the filling onto the bottom two discs and reassemble.  Add the remaining chocolate mix to the hot topping and whisk in.

Place the sponge back onto the cooling wire and ladle the topping over the sponge allowing it to run down the sides. Cool the cake for at least 2 hours before decorating with chocolate and serving.

Obviously anything Heston creates is going to look and taste fabulous, but I can’t help feeling disappointed that those guests should have been treated to authentic royal dishes that Her Majesty has dined on for 60 years. Imagine sat in the gardens of Buckingham Palace feasting like a King on dishes that were prepared in the royal kitchens at Balmoral Castle, Windsor Castle, Sandringham House and the Royal Yacht Britannia and are still favorite dishes of the Queen and her family today.

So, I decided to dig out my “royal recipe books” from my eleven years rattling pans in the royal kitchens and share with you an authentic menu that you can prepare at home for your own “Diamond Jubilee Concert” watching party and enjoy with your guests along with my anecdotes about each dish and why The Queen loved it etc.

Check back soon for my REAL royal menu (including recipes) and in the mean time here’s the dishes that will be in Hestons hamper.

Chilled British Country Garden Soup
Baby plum tomato soup with red peppers and cucumber, with mint-infused oil

Tea-smoked Scottish Salmon
Lapsang Souchong tea-smoked salmon with poached Scottish salmon, lemon and creme fraiche

Diamond Jubilee Chicken
Aromatic blend of Indian mixed spices with mayonnaise, shredded chicken, coriander andd peppery nigella seeds

Served with bread rolls and butter and crudites

Sandringham Strawberry Crumble Crunch
Yoghurt with strawberries and cream with crunchy meringue and oat-crumble topping

Lemon & Caraway Madeira Cake
Traditional madeira cake with zesty lemon and aniseed

Chocolate Indulgence Cake
Light fluffy sponge with rich ganache topping, decorated with a chocolate crown and sprinkled with popping candy

Cheeseboard
Duchy Originals from Waitrose organic mature West Country farmhouse cheddar and Red Leicester Crunch with chutney and oaten biscuits

Mushroom parfait
Roasted mushroom puree blended wit port, brandy and Madeira reduction, butter and eggs, then baked until set

Hake is a sweet, white, flaky fish and an alternative to cod or haddock. In Europe it is fished in the Mediterranean and very popular in Spain. In the USA hake, once called “trash fish” because no-one  wanted it is now trending in the foodie world and is as popular as cod or haddock in New England.

Queen Mary preferred cod in this dish, Queen Elizabeth liked hake.

This recipe from the royal kitchens is over 100 years old. Royal chefs would serve it to Queen Mary every Good Friday, though she would have cod rather thank Queen Elizabeth’s preference of hake. Queen Mary would have baby potatoes and parsnips with hers. Parsnips were very popular in the early 1900′s and brought to England by the Romans. Queen Elizabeth enjoyed new potatoes and spinach with her fish.

Here is the 100 year old royal recipe from the palace kitchens. Happy Fish Friday.

Poached Cod and Egg Sauce

 Serves 4

 4 six ounce fillets of cod (or hake)

2 cups milk

1 bay leaf

2 Tbs unsalted butter

2 Tbs flour

3 hard boiled eggs, diced

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped fine

salt and pepper to taste

Baby potatoes and parsnips to garnish

Bring the milk to a boil in a sauté pan with the bay leaf. Carefully add the fish, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove the fish to a plate once cooked.

In a small pan melt the butter and stir in the flour, gradually incorporate the milk that the fish was poached in and whisk until smooth and the sauce starts to thicken. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes then remove and discard the bay leaf.

Add the egg and parsley to the sauce and adjust the seasoning. Place the fish on a serving plate and spoon the sauce over the top. Serve with the hot baby potatoes and boiled parsnips.

Sign up for my newsletter on my home page today and receive my Easter newsletter tomorrow with chocolate recipes for Easter Sunday and the recipe for King George V and Queen Mary’s Jubilee Cake that you can make at home for Diamond Jubilee.

With the makers marketing slogan ” Love it or hate it” this sticky, dark brown paste with a distinctive, powerful flavour, which is extremely salty and savory is a hit in my family… but not on toast as is the most popular way of enjoying the spread, but in sauces.

It is also popular inside the palace too. Especially in a dish called Gaelic Steaks that calls for 1/4 teaspoon (it’s a strong flavor) to be added to the whisky cream sauce for the royal table. Check out the recipe below taken from my book of royal recipes Eating Royally, recipes and remembrances from a palace kitchen and have your family “Eating Royally” for Diamond Jubilee.

 Gaelic Steaks

Serves 4 

4 Beef tenderloin steaks – mid cut (6 oz each)

1 Onion, finely chopped (8oz)

1 clove Garlic (peeled and chopped)

3 oz Sliced Baby Bella Mushrooms

1 cup Heavy Cream

½ Knorr Chicken Bouillon cube dissolved in ½ pint boiling water

(OR ½ pint Fresh Homemade Chicken Broth)

¼ tsp Marmite

2 tbs Whisky

4 tbs Olive Oil

1 tbs finely chopped parsley

salt

pepper

 1)    Season the tenderloins with salt and pepper and add to a hot skillet with two tbs of the Olive oil.

2)    Cook over a medium heat for about four minutes on each side.

3)    Remove from the skillet onto a plate, cover and keep in a warm place.

4)    In a sauté pan, add the remaining 2 tbs olive oil and place over a low heat.

5)    Add the onion and cook until it softens. Then stir in the mushrooms and garlic and sauté until the mushrooms soften.

6)    Stir in the Whisky, Cream, chicken broth and Marmite and increase the heat to reduce the liquid.

7)    When you have a nice consistency, remove the sauce from the heat and adjust the seasoning. Add the juices from the tenderloins and the chopped parsley and serve over the steaks with more chopped parsley to garnish. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice or pasta.