In The Royal Manner (18 page)
Step 1
2 cake stands
3 large round dinner plotters or plate liners
4 bricks of Oasis/floral foam
1 reel of Oasis/floral foam tape
1 thin green garden cane
1 large pineapple
Assorted greenery: e.g. ivy, ruscus, eucalyptus, red robin
5 bunches of fresh lavender
A few pieces of stub wire
5 bunches black grapes
Assorted white flowers: e.g. small roses, trachelium
Assorted orange flowers; e.g. arum lilies, freesia, small roses
11 plums
2 stephanotis plants to circle the base of your arrangement
Step 2
Arrange the cake stands and platters on top of each other to form three tiers. Soak the Oasis bricks, flat side down, in cold water for at least half an hour to absorb the maximum amount of water. Cut into smaller blocks using a kitchen knife and secure to the platters using strips of Oasis tape.
Step 3
Break the cane in half and skewer into the pineapple. Push this into the top piece of Oasis. Break the greenery into various lengths and arrange evenly around each layer. Fill gaps with small bunches of lavender.
Step 4
Twist lengths of wire round each bunch of grapes to secure them to the Oasis, then begin pushing in stems of white flowers, followed by orange flowers. Arrange the flowers, making sure you have an even balance of colour.
Step 5
Finally skewer the plums on wires and push in and around the arrangement. Unravel the stephanotis plants and trail around the base of the decoration to form a garland.
Note:
to keep the arrangement fresh, water the Oasis frequently to keep it moist and then mist the foliage with a fine water spray to prevent it from drying out.
5.
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It seems appropriate to illustrate a lavish Victorian-style dinner party in the autumn section. This is an excellent time to utilize the rich harvest of fruit, vegetables and flowers on a somewhat grander scale.
The Victorian dinner party was an important and welt-practised ritual which reflected the rich and successful lifestyle of the opulent upper classes. Grand pieces of furniture, silver, crystal and fine porcelain were signs of a family's stature and wealth, with coats of arms and ciphers often emblazoned on glassware and china in a truly Royal style.
Presentation was the essence of a Victorian table and meal times were of huge significance to the family.
The centrepiece of any dinner party is the dining table, and for the Victorians it would have been overwhelmingly extravagant. Large baskets of fruit and flowers would have surrounded silver candelabra, and the light from the candles provided a soft, warm glow to accompany the rather theatrical setting. Today, however, it would be impractical to create an exact replica dinner party, as the endless courses of turtle soup, game, sweetbreads and sumptuous sweets would be too rich for our taste buds. But it is worth noting that from them evolved the structure of the modern day formal menu: i.e. a soup starter, followed by a fish course, then a main course and finally a sweet.
The pineapple was regarded as a welcoming symbol and that is why you see it reflected in architectural designs of the period.
SMALL FISHCAKES
WITH
LEMON
AND
SORREL SAUCE
Serves: 6
Preparation time: 40 minutes plus cooling
Cooking time: approx. 30 minutes
450g/1lb skinless firm white fish fillets, such as cod
1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 small onion, peeled and halved
I celery stick, trimmed and roughly chopped
1 bay leaf
350g/l2oz cooked and mashed boiled potatoes
3 medium eggs
4 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
2 tsp mustard powder
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
100g/4oz fresh white breadcrumbs
50g/2oz butter
6 tbsp vegetable oil
FOR THE SAUCE
225g/8oz sorrel or young spinach, stalks trimmed
50g/2oz butter
50g/2oz plain flour
Finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
150 ml/¼ pt double cream
2 medium egg yolks
1 tsp caster sugar, to taste
Flat-leaf parsley to garnish
1.
Place the fish fillets in a large frying pan with a lid and add the carrot, onion, celery and bay leaf. Pour over sufficient water to just cover the fish, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes until just cooked. Allow to cool in the liquid.
2.
Drain the fish, reserving the cooking liquid, and flake. Place in a bowl and odd the mashed potato, one egg, the chopped parsley, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Season and mix well.
3.
Beat the remaining eggs and place on a large plate. Place the breadcrumbs on another. Divide the fish mixture into 18 small portions and form each into a small ‘cake’ about 5cm/2in in diameter. Gently toss each in egg and then crumbs.
4.
Melt the butter with the oil in a large frying pan and gently fry the fishcakes in two batches for 2 – 3 minutes on each side until golden. Drain and keep warm.
5.
For the sauce, place the sorrel or spinach in a large saucepan with 2 tbsp reserved cooking liquid. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 2 – 3 minutes until wilted. Drain well by pressing through a sieve, then finely chop
6.
Melt the butter and stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in 300 ml/l pt reserved cooking liquid. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, until thickened. Stir in the remaining ingredients with the chopped sorrel or spinach, and season well. Heat through for 1 – 2 minutes.
7.
Serve three fishcakes in a pile in a pool of sauce, garnished with parsley and accompanied with lemon wedges.
Cook's note:
sorrel was a popular herb in Victorian times. The broad green leaves look like spinach and have a sharp, acidic, lemony flavour. Look out for fresh sorrel at the supermarket or greengrocer. Dried sorrel has little flavour and is a poor substitute.
ROAST BEEF
AND
YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS
This is our national dish. Aberdeen Angus is the richest and most succulent of all beef and is always served in the Royal Household. Sirloin was a popular cut of beef with the Victorians.
Starves: 6
Preparation time: 20 minutes plus standing
Cooking time: approx. 1 hour 20 minutes
1.75 kg/4lb rolled sirloin of beef
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp mustard powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small onion, peeled and halved
4 bay leaves
FOR THE YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS
100g/4oz plain flour
1 medium egg, beaten
300 ml/l pt milk
Preheat the oven to 220° C/425° F/Gas 7
1.
Wash and pat dry the beef. Mix the flour, mustard powder and seasoning together and sprinkle some in the base of a roasting tin, and then rub what remains into the beef fat. Stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
