The Second Banquet.

On Friday I gave you the menu for the first official coronation banquet, today I give you that for the second official banquet held on June 4 at Buckingham Palace.

Consommé St George.

[hare soup]

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Rosettes de Saumon Edinburgh

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Filet de Boeuf Pôele Palais

Petits Poid au Beurre

Pommes Nouvelle, Salade Mimosa

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Asperges, Sauce Mousseline

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Soufflés Glacés Princess Anne

Mignardises Assortis

WINES

Sherry Solera Tarifa 1890

Forster Altenburg Riesling 1949

Château Léoville Poyferré 1934

Cliquot 1934

Château Yquem 1928

As with the menu I gave on Friday, it is not possible to know exactly what these dishes were, but they would almost certainly have been classic dishes, perhaps tweaked or renamed for the occasion. The Salade Mimosa appears on a number of twentieth century royal menus, so it is presumably a family favourite. I have previously given you a recipe for this from another royal chef cook book.

The asparagus was served with a classic Mousseline sauce, which is similar to Hollandaise but uses less butter and has whipped cream folded into it at the end. At least, that is the classical description of the sauce. Mrs McKee, one-time royal cook and author of yesterday’s source (Mrs. McKee’s Royal Cookery Book, 1964) has her own version, without the cream.

Mousseline sauce.

3 yolks of eggs, 2 tablespoons water, pinch of salt, ¼ lb soft butter.

Whisk the egg yolks, water, and salt together over a low heat until frothy. Remove from the heat and add the butter in small portions. A light and lovely sauce with asparagus, artichokes, or broccoli.

Rene Roussin, the Chef de Cuisine for King George VI gave more classical instructions for the sauce in his book, Royal Menus, published in 1960.

Sauce Mousseline.

This sauce is made by folding a third as much stiff-whipped cream into a given quantity of Hollandaise sauce. The whipped cream should be added immediately before serving.

Quotation for the Day.

Banquet: an affair where you eat a lot of food you don’t want before talking about something you don’t understand to a crowd of people who don’t want to hear you.”

Anonymous