
“Shock, horror. The Queen Mother didn’t like smoked salmon. This, and other titbits about the royal diet, are gleaned from the new official biography by William Shawcross. 1000 pages, and disappointingly little devoted to food. Many guests have paid tribute to the hospitality at Clarence House, but sadly there are no menus here.
The Queen Mother had apparently had a surfeit of smoked salmon over the years, as doubtless all her hosts thought it was a nice safe dish to offer her. Or maybe she had gone off salmon after a fishbone stuck in her throat. Perhaps that fish was wreaking its revenge for the many salmon she had caught in Scottish rivers.
The Queen Mother did like goujons of sole, which she had been served on the State Visit to Paris in 1938, haddock – but not monkfish. It was apparently served once at Clarence House, and a message was sent to the chef – I don’t think we’ll have that again.
She didn’t like coconut, capers and Spanish strawberries (‘taste like turnips’). But one of her favourite dishes was Eggs Drumkilbo. In case you want to run this up at home, it is diced hard boiled eggs, lobster, shrimps, tomato, cream and mayonnaise, served in aspic. I expect it goes well with a glass of gin and Dubonnet.
For more foodie titbits, join my West End Foodies’ walk on Saturday October 3, 10.45 am, Green Park tube, Ritz exit."
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