Many people assume that the Royal Family enjoys only the finest and most luxurious foods. However, a recipe shared by Clarence House suggests that royal food is not always elaborate or extravagant.
One of King Charles’s favourite dishes is surprisingly simple and can easily be prepared at home. Known as “Cheesy Baked Eggs,” the recipe was posted by Clarence House in 2020, when King Charles was still the Prince of Wales.
According to the Instagram post, the dish can be made using a choice of cheeses along with six other ingredients, making it an accessible and straightforward meal for home cooks.
“One thing that undoubtedly brings many of us great comfort is good food,” His Majesty said at the time during the height of the Coronavirus pandemic. “It is, therefore, deeply troubling to learn that this crisis risks destroying one of the most wonderful joys in life – British cheese!”
If you fancy having a go at some Royal cooking, Clarence House recommends gathering these ingredients:
- Double cream, 80ml
- Torn basil leaves
- Hard grated cheese (for example, Old Winchester), 15g
- One egg
- Optional: charcuterie/cold-cut meats
- One cherry tomato or sundried tomatoes
- Wilted spinach, 100g
- Soft cheese (for instance, Tunworth, Gold Cenarth or other strong soft cheese), 35g
Start by lightly greasing a baking dish before layering in wilted greens and tomatoes to create the base. Spread them around the edges of the dish, leaving a space in the centre for the remaining ingredients.
Once the base is in place, sprinkle the cheese and chopped basil. You can then season to taste and, if desired, add some sliced cold meats for extra flavour.
Season the mixture with salt and pepper, then carefully crack an egg into the well in the centre. Pour in 80ml of double cream, taking care not to disturb the yolk, and finish by sprinkling a generous layer of grated hard cheese over the top.
“Place in a hot oven (180C) for eight to 10 minutes,” instructions from Clarence House continue. “Let it stand for a few minutes before eating.”
King Charles is not the only royal fan of baked eggs. Tom Parker Bowles, the son of Queen Camilla, has also spoken fondly of a similar dish that was a regular feature of his childhood meals.
“Baked eggs, also known as Oeufs en Cocotte, have long been a staple of the royal table, from Queen Victoria to the present day,” he wrote in his recently published book, Cooking & The Crown, according to the Express.
He continued: “This was also a favourite dish from my childhood, usually devoured when we returned home from our holidays, when the fridge and larder were bare. My mother would use eggs from our chickens.”
In his cookbook, Cooking & The Crown, Tom Parker Bowles shares more than 100 recipes inspired by royal dining, spanning from the reign of Queen Victoria to that of King Charles III. The collection features indulgent dishes such as ‘Pommes Elizabeth’ and ‘Pudding au Pain et aux Cerises’, alongside simpler recipes that are well-suited to everyday home cooking.
