Downton Abbey inspires cookbook.
TV series inspires historian to blog and write a cookbook
All the good stuff happens in the kitchen at Downton Abbey.
The clanging, steaming underbelly of the estate, overseen by the pillowy Mrs. Patmore, is where romances have bloomed (remember kitchen maid Daisy and her ill-fated footman, William?). It’s also where a murder was plotted; consider the time Branson tried to poison the general’s soup.
Human passions broil and bubble alongside the food in this immensely popular look at Edwardian England. At least in the first three seasons of the blockbuster Masterpiece Theatre series, what the kitchen staff prepares to eat below, and how it is received above, has been carefully folded into the plot by screenwriter Julian Fellowes, to the great delight of many fans and foodies.
Pamela Foster, creator of the Downton Abbey Cooks blog, says much can be learned by paying close attention to what people consume on the program, which recently debuted its fourth season. Foster, who has a history degree and loves to cook, lives in Burlington, Ont.
By day, she works as marketing director for a Toronto law firm. But by night, Foster pores over all things related to Downton Abbey, and is fascinated by how changes in society are reflected at the Grantham family dinner table.
“It takes place at the end of the Edwardian era ... and food has a prominent role in that era,” says Foster. “Food played a key role in showing your wealth, your flair for hospitality, that you could acquire ingredients that others couldn’t, and that you were entertaining influential people to bring them on your side.
“It was a huge competition to out-do the neighbours or other people of your class. They went all out to do that.”
A family like the Granthams would typically have eaten four times a day, including the late afternoon tea favoured by the Dowager Countess of Grantham (played by the esteemed Maggie Smith). Aspics and game birds were fashionable, and everything was lavishly garnished and decorated.
The 10-and-12-course-meals prepared for Lord and Lady Grantham often feature French fare, all the rage in early 20th-century England, at least in part because the monarch of the time, King Edward VII, loved French cuisine.
Downstairs, though, the food for servants was much simpler, including stews, meat pies and similar pub-style fare.
Much of the food served in a home like Downton Abbey would have been grown in gardens and orchards on the property. Estate livestock produced milk and eggs, chickens and cows were butchered to feed the family. A wealth of spices and other ingredients were readily available to the wealthy, imported at great expense from far-flung parts of the British Empire, from Africa to India and the Caribbean.
Foster has written an e-cookbook available online in honour of the series called Abbey Cooks Entertain. It replicates numerous authentic Edwardian-era foods, including brunch, which began in England and is rooted in dishes served to nobles after hunting.
Some of the major moments in British history are played out in the Downton Abbey kitchen. During the First World War, food was rationed, and viewers see Mrs. Patmore doing her best with less sugar and butter.
“Victory gardens came into play, with people in the cities growing their own food to supplement the rations,” says Foster. “Others, like Thomas, got into the black market business.”
Who could forget the terrible cake that Daisy made, from shady flour secretly secured by Thomas (who has been an underbutler, a footman and a valet on the series)? The flour turned out to be plaster. Another memorable kitchen disaster occurred when Mrs. Patmore, who was losing her sight, used salt instead of sugar in the pudding. Then she dropped the chicken on the floor, where the cat had a bit of a go.
As the series evolves, technology plays a greater role in the food preparation and the first episode of season four sees an electric mixer employed in the kitchen. Mrs. Patmore publicly eschews the newfangled appliance, but decides to try it in private because she worries Daisy will soon outflank her talents. A gigantic mess ensues.
Part of the charm of Downton Abbey is the way in which it honours a bygone era. Food preparation changed dramatically in the 1920s and beyond, as prepared foods began to rise in prominence. More people were working outside the home after the Great War, and there was less time to make meals.
“(Downton Abbey) represents the beginning of the end of the time when people took the time to cook in the kitchen,” says Foster.
Foster says food has less of a presence in season four, but viewers do get a look at the evolution of the restaurant industry in Britain. Watch for Alfred to seek a position as an apprentice in the kitchen of a prominent London hotel.
MANCHE STER PUDDING
The term “pudding” often stands in for “dessert” in the U.K.; cooks will note that by Canadian terminology, this dessert is a tart. It was created by Pamela Foster in honour of Matthew Crawley, who died in the last episode of season three of Downton Abbey. The popular character was from Manchester.
Makes 1 large 9-inch (22 centimetre) tart, or 12 muffin sized tarts
Ingredients
1–1 1/2 sheets of puff pastry 1 1/4 cups (300 mL) skim milk 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) fresh bread crumbs 1/4 cup (50 mL) butter, softened 2 strips of lemon peel 4 eggs (4 yolks, save 2 whites for another use)
3 tablespoons (50 mL) brandy
2 tablespoons (25 mL) sugar (or sugar substitute)
1/2 cup (125 mL) quality jam (Brits love damson, but go with your favourite)
icing sugar, to dust
Method
Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Heat milk and lemon zest in a medium-sized pan to the boiling point. Take off the heat and let sit for 30 minutes to infuse the lemon, then remove the zest. Add the breadcrumbs to the pot, and reheat.
Beat together egg yolks, egg whites, butter, sugar and brandy in a bowl. Pour in about half the hot milk to temper. Mix thoroughly then pour the egg mixture back into the pan. Heat gently for 1 minute then take off the heat and set aside to cool.
Place the puff pastry in a 9-inch (22 centimetre) pie plate, and trim. Alternatively, roll pastry out a little thinner and cut 12 circles and fit into muffin tins.
Put a thick layer of jam in the base (1 teaspoon/5 mL in your muffin cups) then ladle in the custard mix. If you put in lots of jam you will get a nifty volcano effect at the end.
Bake the large tart for 60 minutes, the individual tarts for 45 or until filling has set and is slightly browned.
Serve cold, dusted with icing sugar.
Tip: To cut the calories you can bake the pudding in individual greased ramekins without the pastry at all. To help the puddings set while cooking, place your ramekins in pan filled with hot water.