Downton Abbey obsessed – but the cooking?

Are you a “Downton Abbey” fan? I am. The second season started a few weeks back on PBS on Sunday evenings. The British series focuses on Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, and his family on their estate Downton Abbey in North Yorkshire in the early 1900’s. The show has great storylines from both “upstairs” and “downstairs” at the estate. I could go on and on about the lovely acting, beautiful costumes, intrigue and unrequited love, but I must say the show has me a little obsessed over Edwardian food preparation.

Mrs. Patmore is the estate cook and there’s no doubting that she is queen of her domain. And she has to be. On any given day in an Edwardian estate, dinner was a major undertaking. And if the Lord and his lady were having a dinner party, it could take days to get ready.

A typical Edwardian dinner party would start with soup and a glass of sherry. This was followed by fish served with white wine. After the fish the entrée was served, which might be vol-au-vent, mutton cutlets or sweetbreads served with champagne or claret. The next course was the remove or relevé. It could be a roast of meat, poultry or a meat pie. Potatoes and vegetables were served as well. But it didn’t end there – the guests would then be served roasted game such as a small bird, snipe, wild duck or pheasant. Then they would munch on the dishes known as the entremêts. This course usually consisted of a dressed vegetable, dishes such as cherry tart, and something savoury, like devilled sardines or cheese. Dessert was usually ices, fruits and nuts.[1] Now you know why Edwardian ladies wore corsets. 🙂

I keep thinking about how hard it would be to roast a ‘joint of beef’ over an open stove. Or make the jellies and aspics the Edwardians loved from scratch (no Jello for them!) Plus the preparations for up to a 12 course meal for 20-50 guests without an electric stove, or fridge. Makes my daily dinner preparations seem so easy!

But if you are looking for an elegant beef dish in the tradition of “Downton Abbey” without all the work try our Roast Beef with Rosemary Cream Sauce, perfect for your next dinner party. Or try the classic Beef Wellington , its a showstopper. We’ve got all the tips to make your roast beef dinner so simple to prepare. And your guests will be just as impressed as the Earl of Grantham’s!

Enjoy, and let me know, if you could, would you live in Edwardian times?

[1]Royal Pavillion, Libraries and Museums, Brighton and Hove

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About the author: Janet works at Canada Beef in communications. She loves discovering delicious new ways to prepare Canadian beef. It’s a good thing too, since she lives happily in “man world” with her hubby Steve and teen sons Ryan and Ben, where there isn’t a great meal, unless it includes beef (and perhaps an energy drink.

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