Sweet Lemon Curd
A popular spread or topping for bread and scones served at afternoon tea, lemon curd was also used as a filling for cakes, pastries, and tarts. Mrs. Patmore would be sure to have plenty of this on hand for the Crawleys and any last-minute tea cravings.
YIELDS 1012 SERVINGS 34 cup fresh lemon juice 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest 3 eggs 34 cup sugar 12 cup unsalted b.u.t.ter, cubed Heat lemon juice and lemon zest in a double boiler until hot but not boiling.
Whisk eggs in a medium-sized bowl, followed by sugar when juice is heated. Place a towel under bowl holding egg-sugar mixture to prevent the bowl from moving when subsequent ingredients are added.
Slowly add a little of the heated juice mixture to eggs, stirring constantly. Pour just enough juice to temper the eggs so they are about the same temperature as the juice.
Holding a strainer over the heated juice mixture, pour the egg mixture that has been tempered with juice back into the juice mixture, through a strainer. Cook curd over low heat until thick enough to show whisk marks and the first bubbles appear. This could take up to 15 minutes.
Once whisk marks are showing, add b.u.t.ter a cube at a time, stirring to help melt. Chill curd for 23 hours (or overnight), covered.
Times Gone By While it was still more common for cooks or hostesses to whip up lemon curd on their own, due to an advent in technology in the mid-to-late 1800s (not to mention the refrigerator), more branded goods became available at the market, including pudding mixes and, yes, lemon curd. So if Mrs. Patmore was feeling particularly lazy - and if she trusted that the Countess of Grantham wouldn"t notice the difference - she could run out to the store and simply purchase some lemon curd - at least before war rationing made these store-bought goods hard to come by.
Anna Bates"s Chocolate Crumpets
When Anna loses her composure over the unfair verdict handed down to her saintly husband, it"s likely that Mrs. Hughes would try to comfort her with some soothing tea and these chocolate crumpets.
YIELDS 810 SERVINGS 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons high-quality cocoa powder 2 tablespoons white sugar 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt 34 cup whole milk 12 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 large egg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 112 cups high-quality milk chocolate chips In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, white sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.
In a small bowl, mix together milk, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla extract. Whisk with a fork until egg is thoroughly incorporated.
Make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients, then slowly pour in wet ingredients. Whisk together thoroughly, then add chocolate chips.
Chill mixture for 30 minutes in refrigerator.
On a slightly greased nonstick skillet over medium heat, add dollops of the crumpet mixture in the size of crumpets you desire. Once crumpets start to bubble, flip over and cook the other side. Repeat until you use up the entire batch of crumpet dough. Serve warm, perhaps with heated Nutella and sliced strawberries.
Times Gone By In British slang, calling someone "a bit of crumpet" means she is an attractive woman. It appears that the British like their food slang, as a "tart" refers to a prost.i.tute.
Tea Time Chocolate-Covered Strawberries.
With the fresh strawberries Mrs. Patmore would purchase at the market, these Chocolate-Covered Strawberries are a must for any berry-lover in possession of a sweet tooth and a solid pot of tea. Additionally, strawberries are traditionally a.s.sociated with desire and l.u.s.t, so if Lady Mary felt like giving off subliminal messages to Matthew Crawley, she would simply have to request these zesty chocolate strawberries.
YIELDS 4 CUPS.
10 ounces high-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped 6 ounces high-quality milk chocolate, chopped 8 ounces high-quality white chocolate, chopped 1 pound fresh strawberries (with stems), rinsed and dried Line one large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Chill the lined sheet in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Place chopped semisweet and milk chocolates in one bowl and the white chocolate in a different bowl. Using a double boiler, melt the semisweet and milk chocolate, stirring occasionally until mixture is smooth and creamy. Do not let the water touch the bottom of the upper pan. The chocolate mixture should actually be cool to the touch while melting.
Once chocolate is melted, remove from heat. Holding strawberries by the stem, dip the berries into the melted chocolate mixture, then place on chilled parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Melt white chocolate in the double boiler. Spoon melted white chocolate into a small, st.u.r.dy Ziploc bag (the kind that holds sandwiches). Cut the bottom corner edge of the bag and drizzle white chocolate over the semisweet- and milk-chocolatecovered strawberries.
Place strawberries aside and allow to set at room temperature at least 1 hour, and serve.
Times Gone By.
If at all possible, use chopped chocolate bars or chunks instead of chips for melting. Chocolate chips are made with less cocoa b.u.t.ter 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.
Part 2.
SUSTENANCE FOR THE STAFF.
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 cla.s.sic 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!.
Chapter 9.
HEARTY BREAKFASTS TO START THE WORK DAY.
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!
Kipper, Fried Egg, and Rosemary Potatoes Surprise.
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 sn.o.bbiest of staff members, including footman Thomas.
YIELDS 4 SERVINGS.
112 pounds small red bliss potatoes, quartered 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary 14 cup chopped white onion 2 teaspoons crushed garlic 2 teaspoons sea salt 12 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 14 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons unsalted b.u.t.ter 2 kippered herring fillets 4 large eggs Oregano seasoning to taste Preheat oven to 350F.
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 3035 minutes until browned, cooked through, and very fragrant.
Melt 1 tablespoon of the b.u.t.ter 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 b.u.t.ter. 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.
Times Gone By 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.
Spicy Cla.s.sic Kedgeree
Another import from colonial India, Spicy Cla.s.sic 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.
YIELDS 46 SERVINGS 112 pounds haddock fillets 4 fresh bay leaves 112 cups long-grain basmati rice Kosher salt 2 tablespoons unsalted b.u.t.ter 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 12 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 510 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 b.u.t.ter in a medium-sized saute 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 35 minutes, then add in chopped tomatoes and lemon juice.
Quarter the eggs. Add haddock and rice to saute pan and gently heat through. Add eggs, followed by the coriander and chives. Serve in a warm bowl.
Etiquette Lessons 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 b.u.t.ter 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.
Deviled Kidneys
A popular breakfast for the English upper cla.s.s, 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.
YIELDS 4 SERVINGS.
8 lamb kidneys 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt 12 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 12 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 tablespoons b.u.t.ter 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon red wine 112 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 b.u.t.ter 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 34 pieces and place on toast. Serve drizzled with chicken stock mixture and top with parsley.
Times Gone By For a stronger flavor, try subst.i.tuting pig kidneys for lamb kidneys. While both provide a tender cut, the lamb kidney has a much more subtle flavor than the pig kidney. This perhaps explains why today lamb kidneys are the most readily available type of kidney to purchase.
Working-Cla.s.s Porridge
A popular breakfast dish imported from Northern Europe, this would be a common meal offered to the staff of Downton Abbey. Porridge was also a popular prison food, so dear Mr. Bates would likely eat this while awaiting trial for the murder of his wife.
YIELDS 4 SERVINGS.
1 cup rolled oats 212 cups water 1 teaspoon kosher salt 14 cup raisins 2 bananas, sliced 2 teaspoons cinnamon 14 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar 1 tablespoon white sugar 2 teaspoons honey (optional) 12 cup cold milk (optional) In a saucepan, combine the rolled oats, water, salt, raisins, bananas, cinnamon, and vanilla.
Bring to a brief boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the liquid has been absorbed, stirring frequently.
Add both sugars. Pour into bowls, then top each with milk and honey.
Times Gone By While this porridge might not appear something for which the staff of Downton would give hearty thanks, in London during the Edwardian period, out-of-work families spent as little as a penny per day per person on food, resulting in a greatly shortened lifespan. However, this led to a lowered birthrate, which helped women, who began to experience improved health as a direct result of a reduction in family size.
Boiled Beef Tongue