The Queen Mum’s Favorite foods
Right up until her death at age 101, the Queen Mother was passionate about food. She most certainly had her favorite foods and also her favorite tipplings. It was well known that in her later years that she would enjoy a Dubonnet and a gene before lunch. By six pm she was enjoying dry Martinis and Veuve Clicquot champagne was served at dinner.
A favorite any time cocktail of the Queen Mum was called the Bloody Bull. This was a cocktail made with vodka, tomato juice, a tin of beef consommé, dill and Worcester sauce. The legend is that the flamboyant playwright Noel Coward invented the drink. He first served the drink to her at his Jamaican villa in 1965.
As a result of her trip to Jamaica the Queen Mother also became fond of Caribbean food. One of her favorites was Chicken Tropicana. This was a chicken stew made from chicken, cornflower, mushrooms, corn, onions, and peppers that was baked right inside the coconut.
Her majesty loved prawns and would often have a dish called Oefs Drumkilbo. This is hard boiled eggs mixed with prawns lobster, and tomatoes. The dressing is made of mayonnaise, anchovy essence, tomato puree and fish stock that is jellied with gelatin until it is ready to serve. The salad is also served with watercress, mustard greens and brown bread.
The Queen Mother was very fond of After Eight dinner mints and in fact often ate crushed mints in ice cream flavored with Devon cream, brandy and castor sugar.
A favorite treat at tea-time was called a Tipsy Tart. This is a brandy soaked tart that consisted also of dates, walnut, butter eggs and vanilla. It was boozy, heavy and often served with ice cream or whipped cream.
Souffle Rothschild, created by French chef Marie-Antoine Careme in honor of a Rothschild in the 1800s, was a decadent favorite of the Queen mother’s. This was created with Goldwasser, a eight per cent proof orange and anise flavored liquor with gold flakes in it. It also had grated candied cherries in it. This was not a diet food as the mix has six eggs, cream and tons of sugar in it as well.
She loved all traditional British desserts, especially sticky pudding doused in double cream, brandy syrups and very expensive brandies and liqueurs. In short , the Queen Mother was a British “foodie.” So much so that a book was written all about her favorite foods called A Taste of Mey. The book even has a foreword written by the Prince of Wales.