The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook (11 page)

Some historians suggest that the rise of
grande cuisine
in England was due not to rising tastes among aristocrats such as the Earl of Grantham, but rather as a result of increased competition between restaurateurs. One way to attract more customers was by offering finer, perhaps more foreign food than that offered by competitors.

If Daisy wanted to impress Mrs. Patmore with her cooking prowess, she would simply need to make this small but mighty salmon dish. Like Daisy herself, this salmon dish, with the help of the mustard, packs a surprising punch.

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⁄
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cup unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons chopped chives

1 tablespoon chopped tarragon

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup French green lentils

2 large carrots, chopped

2 cups water

2 cups vegetable broth

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

4 (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets

1 teaspoon salt

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. To make mustard sauce:
   In a small bowl, thoroughly mix together butter, chives, tarragon, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
   
2. To make lentils:
   In a heavy saucepan over high heat, bring lentils, carrots, water, and vegetable broth to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until lentils are tender, about 25–30 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let stand for 5–7 minutes. Drain lentils, reserving 1 cup of the liquid.
   
3. Reheat drained lentils, carrots, and reserved liquid over medium heat, mixing in 4 tablespoons of butter mixture. Stir until lentils are heated and butter is thoroughly mixed in. Add lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm, covered.
   
4. To prepare salmon:
   Sprinkle salmon fillets with salt and pepper.
   
5. Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once butter has foamed, sauté salmon, flipping once, until salmon is cooked through and golden, about 8–10 minutes.
   
6. Serve salmon topped with remaining butter mixture, over lentils and carrots.
   

There were usually two types of fish offered at a formal dinner party: one broiled, one lightly fried. This low-stress recipe would be a tempting choice for Mrs. Patmore to offer as her broiled option.

While cod is the most popular choice for fish-and-chip dishes such as Spicy Pub Fish and Chips (see
Chapter 10
), it can also be used in a quite delicate, understated yet elegant fish dish. One can just imagine the Dowager Countess frowning at the unfamiliar texture of this dish, as she would be much more familiar with fish covered in sauce rather than bread crumbs!

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⁄
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cup Italian bread crumbs

4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon cornmeal

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

¹
⁄
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teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¹
⁄
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teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 (3- to 4-ounce) cod fillets

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
   
2. In a small bowl, mix together bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, cornmeal, olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
   
3. Grease the rack of a broiling pan. Place cod on the rack, folding under any thin edges. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and lemon juice, then brush fillets with mayonnaise and lemon-juice mixture. Then spoon the crumb mixture evenly over top of fillets.
   
4. Bake fillets in preheated oven for 13–15 minutes or until the fish flakes easily when prodded with a fork. Fish should be opaque all the way through.
   

As Britain was a rather small island surrounded by a ready supply of fresh seafood, a great deal of fish was consumed during the Victorian era. In fact, oysters were once so readily available that they were used as a sausage filling in lieu of more expensive meat, and salmon was among the few fish the poor could afford. Nowadays, however, thanks to the rise in frozen fish, it has become a lot harder to find some of the lesser-known varieties of English fish… but if you are lucky, you might be able to hunt some down!

Entrées, in the
Service á la Russe
sense, meant anything that did not require carving with a knife. While the following dishes may seem like meals on their own, remember that, for the Downton Abbey set, this was just the third course out of an eight-course (or more) meal. However, entrées increased in importance over time, and in 1907 writer Hermann Senn wrote: “Entrées are generally looked upon as the most essential part of the dinner… there can be no well-balanced dinner without an entrée course.” It’s likely that the Earl of Grantham would heartily agree with the importance of an entrée; however, whether that agreement is due to etiquette or hunger remains an unanswered question. The following entrées are incredibly rich, just like the company who consumes them.

Due to the incredibly expensive cost (not to mention intensive — and extensive — preparation) of lobster, this dish would only be served at Downton Abbey for the most regal of affairs when the family most wanted to impress, such as when the Earl of Grantham auditions future possible fiancés for Lady Mary.

4 lemons, halved

2 onions, quartered

2 (1
¹
⁄
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-pound) lobsters

1 cup unsalted butter

¹
⁄
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cup all-purpose flour

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cup shallots, minced

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cup dry white wine

2 cups whole milk

2 cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped

1 cup and 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese

1 pound bacon

2 cups onions, julienned

¹
⁄
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cup green beans, blanched

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 teaspoons garlic, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
   
2. Bring a large stockpot of salted water containing the lemon halves and quartered onions to a boil. Add lobsters to boiling water and cook for 15 minutes.
   
3. Remove lobsters from water and place in an ice bath.
   
4. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, then form a roux by stirring in the flour. Add shallots and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the wine, milk, and heavy cream. Bring mixture to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes or until the sauce is thick enough to thoroughly coat the back of a spoon. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Do not be alarmed if this sauce is incredibly thick.
   
5. Remove sauce from heat and stir in the Dijon mustard and tarragon.
   
6. Free lobsters from ice bath and split each lobster in half. Remove the tail meat from the shells and gently crack the claws. Dice the tail meat, then fold into the sauce. Stir the 1 cup of grated cheese into the mixture.
   
7. Spoon mixture into lobster tails. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons of the cheese over the lobsters. Place the now-filled lobsters on a large baking sheet in preheated oven. Bake lobsters for 10–15 minutes or until their tops are golden brown.
   
8. Meanwhile, in a well-oiled pan, heat bacon until crispy, about 10 minutes. Add onions and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add the green beans and sauté for an additional 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then mix in garlic.
   
9. Remove bacon, onions, and green beans from heat. Place mixture on serving plates, then top with lobsters.