The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook (20 page)

Before her disastrous salted raspberry meringues, Mrs. Patmore dropped a delicious-looking roasted chicken on the floor due to her failing eyesight. Yet, as both the staff and the chef see clearly, what the aristocrats upstairs don’t know won’t hurt them — and so they serve the chicken anyway. Luckily, you’ll notice that dropping the chicken isn’t a required step for this particular recipe.

1 (3-pound) whole chicken, giblets removed

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon onion powder

²
⁄
₃
cup unsalted butter, divided by tablespoons

1 stalk celery, leaves removed

¹
⁄
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fresh lemon, sliced

4 sprigs fresh rosemary

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
   
2. Place chicken in a large roasting pan, and season generously, inside and out, with salt, pepper, and onion powder. Carefully place 3 tablespoons butter in the chicken cavity, then smother remaining butter all over chicken exterior. Cut celery into four pieces, and place in the chicken cavity, along with lemon slices. Sprinkle exterior of chicken with rosemary sprigs.
   
3. Bake chicken uncovered in preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes so chicken reaches a minimum internal temperature of 180°F. Remove chicken from oven and baste with melted butter and other drippings. Tent with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 30 minutes before serving.
   

After dinner, the women would head to the drawing room. The men would stay in the dining room. Only when everyone had left the dining room would the maids be allowed to come upstairs and help clear the table. Like children, the maids were to be seen and not heard.

This is a classic salad with a combination of both sweet and tart flavors, much like the Crawley sisters themselves! Yet, like this salad, while the girls themselves possess hints of sharpness, underneath it all they are well-meaning and quite delightful.

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon minced shallot

¹
⁄
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cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt

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teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

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cup dried cranberries

8 cups lightly packed fresh spinach leaves

3 firm but ripe pears, not peeled, but quartered lengthwise, cored, and cut into long slices

1
¹
⁄
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cups toasted walnuts

¹
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cup goat cheese, crumbled

1. In a small bowl, thoroughly whisk together red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, shallot, olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, sugar, sea salt, and pepper. Set aside.
   
2. Soak dried cranberries in 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Let soak for 20 minutes.
   
3. Place 6 cups of the spinach in a large bowl. Add pears. Toss with most of the remaining dressing, then add last 2 cups of spinach and toss again until well coated. Add cranberries and toasted walnuts, and toss again. Pour into bowls and sprinkle with goat cheese.
   

Part of Daisy’s daily duties would be to inspect each and every individual piece of lettuce in every salad served, as even one lightly brown or wilted leaf or piece of fruit could be grounds for immediate dismissal… not to mention Mrs. Patmore’s utter horror.

This traditional British salad might look rather lumpy and unappealing, but all at Downton Abbey would be aware that — despite its less-than-appetizing appearance — it’s a surprisingly delicious addition to the table.

2 cups seashell pasta

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

¹
⁄
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teaspoon sugar

¹
⁄
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teaspoon garlic powder

¹
⁄
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teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon oregano

1
¹
⁄
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cups crabmeat

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cup carrots, diced

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cup green onions, diced

1 cup celery, sliced

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cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 10 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Rinse with cold water and drain.
   
2. In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, rice vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, garlic powder, basil, and oregano. Adjust seasonings to suit your own personal taste.
   
3. Add pasta to dressing and toss to coat. Add crabmeat, carrots, green onions, and celery, gently folding into the salad mixture. Finally, mix in Parmesan cheese. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (preferably overnight) before serving.
   

Creamy Crab and Celery Salad is
not
to be mistaken for Crab Louie, which is distinctly American. This Creamy Crab and Celery Salad contains a great deal more mayonnaise than Crab Louie, and is built from a pasta base rather than one of lettuce.

The unique addition of fresh beets — known as beetroot in London — mixed with these ingredients makes for a surprising, but delicious salad that everyone at Downton Abbey would enjoy. The festive mix of sweet flavors (such as maple syrup and orange juice) would provide guests at any garden party or luncheon with an extra excuse to smile.

4 medium beets, scrubbed, trimmed, and cut in half

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cup walnuts, chopped

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

10 ounces fresh spinach, washed and dried

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cup frozen orange juice concentrate

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cup balsamic vinegar

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cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

2 oranges, sliced

1. Place beets in saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then cook for 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool, then cut beets into cubes.
   
2. Place walnuts in a skillet and briefly heat over medium-low heat. Add maple syrup and butter. Cook and stir until walnuts are evenly coated, then remove from heat and let cool.
   
3. In a small bowl whisk together orange juice concentrate, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil, and set aside.
   
4. Place a large helping of spinach leaves on plates, then divide candied walnuts among plates over greens. Place equal amount of beets over greens, then top with feta cheese. Drizzle each plate with some of the dressing, followed by orange slices.
   

This salad would be an excellent dish to serve before Creamless Steak
au Poivre
(see
Chapter 4
), Daisy’s Downton Rib Roast (see
Chapter 5
), or the Seven-Hour Leg of Lamb (see
Chapter 4
).

In Edwardian-era society, vegetables weren’t high on the list of important culinary necessities for a meal, as Edwardian socialites — and more importantly, their chefs — had little fundamental knowledge of basic nutrition. Thus, the following vegetable recipes are quite heavy on the butter — and subsequent tastiness. Nonetheless, these dishes would serve as a nice buffer between meat courses and the following decadent desserts (see
Chapters 7
and
12
).