5 of King Charles’ favourite foods and how to make them yourself at home

In 2020, Clarence House shared one of King Charles’s favourite recipes for cheesy baked eggs on the last day of the annual British Cheese Weekender, an online cheese festival set up during the pandemic to support British cheesemakers.

The recipe is deliciously simple, with only a few pantry staples and a selection of good cheeses. It suggests a mixture of a ‘strong soft cheese’, like Golden Cenarth or Tunworth, combined with a grated hard cheese like an Old Winchester. There’s a touch of Italian influence with the addition of basil and cherry tomatoes (or sundried tomatoes for an extra punch), and the eggs come out of the oven insatiably runny. Savoury and filling, this is the perfect royal breakfast. 

In a Channel 4 documentary, The Real Windsors: The Outspoken Heir, Count Tibor Kalnoky recounted spending some time with King Charles at the latter’s country house in Viscri, Transylvania where the King would drink a martini before dinner every night. 

The tipple, made of gin and sweet vermouth, is a refreshing cocktail to whet the palate before indulging in a hearty dinner. It’s even more luxurious with King Charles, who is said to bring his own martini glass whenever he travels.

Read more: Former Royal Chef to Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana, Darren McGrady Reveals Unknown Facts About The Royal Family

In an interview with New Yorker magazine, former UK prime minister Tony Blair revealed that ‘mushrooms’ is the first word that comes to mind when he thinks of King Charles. This is no surprise, as the King has been photographed picking wild mushrooms at the royal family’s Balmoral estate in Scotland. 

Having said that, it is no surprise that this wild mushroom risotto with a rack of lamb is one of King Charles’ favourite dishes. When chef Darren McGrady used to make it, wild mushrooms sourced from Balmoral’s 50,000-acre estate would lend an intense umami flavour to the risotto. Accompanied by a tender rack of lamb, this is a dish that will leave you thinking about it for hours after.

For his 70th birthday, King Charles guest-edited Country Life magazine’s November issue and commissioned a feature on how to cook one of his favourite foods: a pheasant crumble pie. 

"I got this recipe from someone I know," the King told Country Life at the time. The pheasant is first poached in herbs and aromatics, then placed in a baking dish with a roux sauce, which is pheasant stock thickened with flour and butter. A crumble of breadcrumbs, parmesan and bacon bits are sprinkled over and baked until the pheasant is tender, creamy, and incredibly delicious. 

Don’t forget dessert, a cream of lemon which was made out of necessity. Italian chef Enrico Derflingher, executive chef of the royal family from 1987 to 1990, explains to Fine Dining Lovers magazine that the dish was created when a trip to an island on the Shetland archipelago was extended due to poor weather. With supplies running low, Derflingher put together cream, lemon, butter, eggs, sugar and flour for the then Prince of Wales, who liked it so much it became a favourite at royal banquets. 

There is some technique here, but this is a simple dish to put together. The result is a rich and creamy citrus treat that reaps far more satisfying rewards than the effort suggests. 

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