The Great British Menu selected by the public for the Queen's 80th birthday banquet

Here's the results of members of the Great British Public trying the same thing.
We don't  know how close the top chefs would think we came, but all courses were thoroughly enjoyed
and there was no question of any of the food being thrown away!!
 


Smoked Salmon with Irish Soda Bread, Woodland Sorrel and Cress

Cooked by Derick with thanks to Geraldine for her assistance and "supervision"

Chef's comments:-

  1. I don't do ingredients!! Opening two packets or jars is my limit so this was a "challenge".
  2. The original recipe calls or Woodland Sorrel but what on earth is Woodland Sorrel?? I gave up looking and the only reference found on the internet was this recipe which did not help very much. In the end I chose an organic living salad (in a similar pot of earth that cress comes in) and dressed the plate from that. Let's face it, us mere mortals don't have access to the range of ingredients available to the top chefs so we have to  improvise in the spirit of the dish.
  3. On the very subject of improvisation, chefs have a golden rule that the best dish can only be made from the best ingredients. Can I tell the difference between organic and non-organic?.... probably not.... but you can't make a meal fit for royalty if you start skimping on the ingredients.
  4. Some of the ingredients can be found in your local supermarket, but you will need a health food shop for things like the wheat germ and wheat bran, and ideally a fishmongers for the salmon.
  5. I found the soda bread too salty. This may be because as a rule I do not use salt in cooking (take a look at the ingredients in any food and you'll see there's a lot of salt already). As we were cooking for 7 I doubled all the ingredients and cooked for 8. In doing so there was far too much soda bread. Unless you wish to eat a lot of bread, I would not bother doubling the ingredients and just have a slice for a taster.
  6. A little tip (which is probably obvious to anyone that can cook), when making the soda bread it says mix all the ingredients but it would have been easier to mix all the dry ingredients thoroughly before adding the honey etc.


Preparation time 30 mins to 1 hour
Cooking time 30 mins to 1 hour

Serves 4

Ingredients
For the Irish soda bread
100g/3½oz wholemeal flour, plus extra for dusting
100g/3½oz self-raising flour
1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
50g/2oz jumbo oat flakes
25g/1oz wheat germ
25g/1oz wheat bran
10g/¼oz salt
75g/3oz (approx 5tbsp) runny honey
25g/1oz (approx 1¾ tbsp) black treacle
225ml/14fl oz buttermilk
For the blini mixture
85g/3oz plain flour
1 tsp salt
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 free-range whole egg
1 free-range egg yolk
150ml/5fl oz milk
115g/4½oz warm, cooked mashed potato
knob of butter
25g/1oz St Killian cheese, or other similar soft cream cheese
For the salmon and Lettuce
Organic lettuce to dress the plate
Dressing of wild cress
25ml/1fl oz olive oil
½ lemon, juice only
salt and freshly ground black pepper
500g/1lb 2oz wild smoked salmon

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.
2. First make the soda bread. Put all the soda bread ingredients into a large bowl and mix by hand to make a soft dough.
3. Using floured hands, shape the dough into two equal oval shapes and place on a floured non-stick baking tray. Bake for 45 minutes or until the breads sound hollow when tapped on the base. Remove from the oven and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, make the blini batter. Put the flour in a bowl with the salt and the nutmeg and stir in the egg and egg yolk. Whisk in the milk, then fold in the cooked warm potato and the cheese. Cover and leave to rest in the fridge until ready to cook.
5. For the salmon and woodland sorrel, pick the woodland sorrel and wild cress by removing just the soiled end and washing in a little salted water. Leave to dry on kitchen towel, then place in a bowl. Just before serving, dress the leaves with the olive oil, lemon juice and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6. To cook the blinis, heat the butter in a non-stick frying pan. Add spoonfuls of the blini batter and fry for 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. This will make eight blinis.
7. To serve, cut the smoked salmon into 2cm/¾in slices and arrange three slices on each serving plate. Add two blinis to each and dress the plates with the lettuce and cress. Slice the bread and serve alongside.

 

 

Soda Bread

Smoked Salmon, Salad, Blinis

 

 

 

Pan-fried Turbot with Cockles and Oxtail

Cooked by Sonia

Preparation time overnight
Cooking time over 2 hours

Serves 4

Ingredients For the oxtail
1kg/2¼lb Welsh Black beef oxtail, cut into pieces
1 litre/1¾ pints red wine
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 bay leaf
vegetable oil
flour, seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 litres/3½ pints chicken stock
1 litre/1¾ pints veal stock (substitute beef or more chicken stock if unavailable)
For the cockles
400g/14oz cockles, cleaned
1 glass white wine (about 125ml/4fl oz)
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp crème fraîche
For the turbot
olive oil
350g/12oz sea beet, stalks removed (substitute beet tips or Swiss chard if unavailable)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated nutmeg
lemon juice
4 pieces turbot, each 120g/4oz, filleted and skinned
knob of butter

Method
1. Put the oxtail in a bowl with the red wine, onions, carrots and bay leaf. Cover and leave to marinate in a cool place for 24 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 140C/275F/Gas 1.
3. Strain off the red wine from the oxtail and vegetables and place in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface.
4. Meanwhile, heat a little vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed ovenproof pan over a moderate heat. Dust the oxtail in seasoned flour, then add to the pan and colour until golden brown on all sides.
5. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the marinated vegetables to the pan and cook until golden brown. Deglaze the pan with the hot red wine, then cook until the liquid is reduced by half.
6. Return the oxtail to the pan. Cover with chicken and veal stock and bring to the boil. Skim, cover the pan with a lid and place in the oven to cook for 2½ hours.
7. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. When cooled, remove the oxtail and pick the meat from the bones, retaining the meat in large pieces; discard the bones. Strain the liquid into a saucepan and cook until reduced by half. Keep the meat and sauce warm.
8. To cook the cockles, place them in a warm pan with the white wine and bay leaf, cover with a lid and cook on a high heat for 1-2 minutes or until the shells have opened. Drain the cockles in a colander set in a bowl. Set the liquid to one side. Pick the cockles from their shells (leaving a few in their shells).
9. For the turbot, warm some olive oil in a deep pan and add the sea beet. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, nutmeg and a squeeze of lemon. Cook for 30 seconds to wilt, then remove from the heat.
10. Heat a little olive oil in a warm non-stick pan until hot. Add the turbot and cook until the underside is brown, then carefully turn the turbot pieces over and lower the heat; cook for a further two minutes. Add a knob of butter to finish.
11. To assemble, place the wilted sea beet on each warm plate and arrange the cockles and picked oxtail around the sea beet. Drizzle with the oxtail sauce. Position the turbot on the sea beet. Bring the cockle liquid to the boil and whisk in the crème fraîche. Pour this onto each plate and serve.

 

 

Pan Fried Turbot with Cockles and Oxtail

Loin of Roe Benison with Rosti, Celeriac, Cabbage, Carrot and Game Gravy

Cooked by John and Karin

Preparation time 30 mins to 1 hour
Cooking time 1 to 2 hours

Serves 4
 

Ingredients
For the game gravy
600g/1lb 5oz venison rib bones (ask your game dealer or butcher but we had to  de-bone it as the bones were too tough even for a saw!! )
25g/1oz unsalted butter
200g/7oz venison trimmings, roughly chopped
4 shallots, finely sliced
8 button mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
sprig of thyme
6 white peppercorns, crushed
30ml/1oz red wine vinegar
120ml/4fl oz port
120ml/4fl oz red wine
700ml/1¼ pints brown chicken or game stock
1 tsp redcurrant jelly
1 tsp arrowroot
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the rosti
400g/14oz Golden Wonder potatoes, peeled and grated
10 tbsp goose fat (available tinned in some supermarkets)
For the vegetables
2 tbsp goose fat
100g/3½oz carrot, finely chopped
100g/3½oz parsnip, finely chopped
100g/3½oz celeriac, finely chopped
100g/3½oz beetroot, finely chopped
sprig of thyme
1 clove garlic, lightly crushed
For the venison
20g/1oz butter
4 pieces of roe deer saddle with rib bone still attached, each 120g/4½oz
60ml/2fl oz red wine
30ml/1fl oz red wine vinegar
40ml/1½fl oz fruit vinegar
200ml/7fl oz light brown chicken stock
250g/9oz Savoy cabbage, finely shredded, blanched for 2 minutes, refreshed and drained
4 tbsp double cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
 

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. First make the game gravy. Roast the venison bones for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a medium-sized saucepan, add the butter and venison trimmings and cook on a low heat for 20 minutes until well browned. Add the shallots, mushrooms, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and crushed peppercorns. Gently fry for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Pour in the red wine vinegar, followed by the port and red wine. Boil until a thick, syrupy glaze is achieved. Add the stock, redcurrant jelly and roasted bones and simmer for 45 minutes.
4. Pass through a fine sieve into a small, clean pan and boil again to reduce by half. Thicken with arrowroot, then check the seasoning and set aside. Reheat for serving. (This makes more gravy than you need for this dish; keep the rest in the fridge or freeze it.)
5. Next make the rosti. Place the grated potatoes in a clean tea towel and squeeze out the liquid. Place in a bowl, add 2 tbsp of the goose fat and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix well.
6. Heat four blini pans. Add 2 tbsp of goose fat to each and then divide the potato mix between them, pressing it down gently. Cook until crisp and golden on the base, then carefully turn over and continue cooking until the other side is golden and the potatoes are tender. Place in a low oven to keep warm.
7. For the vegetables, heat 2 tbsp of goose fat in a heavy-bottomed frying pan and sauté the chopped vegetables with the thyme and garlic for 15-20 minutes or until coloured and cooked through. Place in the oven to keep warm.
8. For the venison, heat the butter in the frying pan, then sear the venison until well coloured and cooked medium rare. Remove the meat from the pan and place it somewhere warm to relax.
9. Pour out the fat from the pan, return it to a high heat and deglaze with the wine and vinegars. Boil fast to reduce, then add the stock and reduce again by one-quarter to really intensify the flavours. Strain and keep warm.
10. Reheat the cabbage, adding the cream, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
11. To serve, place a pile of cabbage in the centre of each plate. Place the rosti on top and place the sautéed vegetables around the outside. Place the venison on the rosti, and pour over the reduced jus. Drizzle the game gravy around the outside of the plates.

 

 

Loin of Roe Venison with Rosti, Celeriac, Cabbage, Carrot and Game Gravy

Custard Tart with Garibaldi Biscuits

Cooked by Sue and Geraldine

Preparation time 1-2 hours
Cooking time 30 mins to 1 hour

Serves 4
 

Ingredients
For the Garibaldi biscuits
100g/3½oz butter, melted in a saucepan
100g/3½oz icing sugar, sifted
100g/3½oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
100g/3½oz egg whites
200g/7oz currants
For the pastry
225g/8oz flour, plus extra for dusting
pinch of salt
1 lemon, zest only
150g/5½oz butter
75g/3oz caster sugar
1 free-range egg yolk
1 free-range egg
For the custard filling
9 free-range egg yolks
75g/3oz caster sugar
500ml/17fl oz whipping cream
freshly grated nutmeg
 

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. First, make the biscuits. Mix together the butter, icing sugar and flour until smooth. Slowly add the egg whites, stirring, until they are completely incorporated, then fold in the currants. Bring together into a ball, wrap in cling film and chill for at least one hour.
3. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface out to 5mm/½in thick. Cut into 12 rectangles - you may have some dough left over. Place on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, ensuring the biscuits are not touching each other. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
4. Bake the biscuits for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and cool on a wire rack. Keep in an airtight tin.
5. For the pastry, rub together the flour, salt, lemon zest and butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, then beat together the egg yolk and whole egg and slowly add these, mixing until the pastry forms a ball. Wrap tightly in cling film and refrigerate for two hours.
6. Turn the oven down to 170C/325F/Gas 3.
7. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to 2mm/one eighth-in thickness. Use to line an 18cm/7in flan ring placed on a baking sheet. Line with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans, then bake blind for about 10 minutes or until the pastry is starting to turn golden brown. Remove the paper and beans, and allow to cool.
8. Turn the oven down to 130C/250F/Gas1.
9. For the filling, whisk together the yolks and sugar. Add the cream and mix well. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a saucepan and heat to blood temperature.
10. Fill the pastry case with the custard, until 5mm/¼in from the top. Carefully place in the middle of the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the custard appears set but not too firm. Remove from the oven and cover the surface liberally with grated nutmeg. Allow to cool to room temperature.
11. Before serving, warm the biscuits through in the oven for 5 minutes. Cut the tart with a sharp knife and serve with the biscuits.

 

 

Custard Tart with Garabaldi Biscuits


Thanks also go to Steve for washing up between courses