A former royal chef has revealed the Royal Family’s go-to Boxing Day breakfast and the hearty meal is the 'ultimate comfort food' that's super easy to recreate.
When Boxing Day finally comes around, it can feel like a relief to be done with all the hubbub of a family Christmas. With all the presents open and the little ones occupied with their best new Christmas toys, there's nothing better than settling down onto the sofa, putting up your feet and digging into some of Netflix's best Christmas movies.
Perhaps after the stress of cooking the perfect Christmas dinner, sticking to quick boxing day recipes for today's food would be best, but after hearing about the Royal Family's favourite Boxing Day meal, you're going to want to recreate it.
The Royal Family are an endless source of meal-inspiration for families. From Queen Elizabeth's favourite junk food that is SO posh and Prince William and Prince Harry’s ‘favourite’ childhood meals that are surprisingly ‘normal’, to The Queen's perfect afternoon tea and Prince George's 'favourite' meal that's not what we expected, it's surprisingly easy to get royal-approved dinners onto the table in a short timeframe. But the family's 'comfort food' Boxing Day breakfast, Kedgeree, is not for the faint of heart and features an abundance of hearty ingredients and rich flavours.
The recipe for the exact meal Queen Elizabeth II favourited for her Boxing Day breakfast has been shared by Darren McGrady, who worked at Buckingham Palace from 1982 to 1993.
In a video on his YouTube channel, he revealed, "One of the most popular breakfast dishes that I cooked for the Royal Family, is a dish called Kedgeree. It’s the ultimate comfort food dish that was brought over to the Victorians in the era of the Raj by the returning British colonials.
“The original dish was made of beans and rice and lentils and by the 19th century in the UK, it became a more sophisticated, classy dish for breakfast and brunch, entertaining with the addition of smoked haddock and boiled eggs.
“For Kedgeree, we have to poach the fish and you can poach in water if you want to, but it’s actually best to poach in milk. Milk has that fat in it and as it’s poaching the fat actually holds onto the flavours that are coming out of the fish, that smokiness that comes out of the fish."
For his royal version of the dish, you'll need; One lb smoked haddock fillet, cut into pieces; Three cups cooked basmati rice, Four eggs, hard-boiled, One TBS curry powder (or to taste), Two cups milk, One to two cups of cream, Three tbsp chopped fresh parsley, and salt and pepper.
However, we have a variety of recipes for whatever type of Kedgeree you want to make including a quick kedgeree recipe with curried rice and smoked fish, a Salmon kedgeree recipe that's ready in just 25 minutes, and a Kedgeree cakes recipe that's a fun twist on the classic meal.
The family's hearty breakfast reflects the packed schedule that Boxing Day days brings with it. While many families are relaxing in front of the TV and winding day from their hectic Christmases, the royals are up and out the door to complete a long list of family traditions.
According to reports in The Express, on the 26 December, the family spend the day in the cold countryside as they walk, ride horses and take part in the traditional Boxing Day pheasant shoot. They always spend Christmas at Sandringham, a tradition started in 1988, and the estate welcomes all royals from Queen Consort Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children, to Sarah Ferguson and her two daughters, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, as well as their families too.
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