Let 'em have the quiche: King Charles's controversial coronation recipe

On the eve of King Charles III’s coronation in the United Kingdom, Charles and Queen Consort Camilla chose quiche as their signature dish for the royal occasion, though not without controversy.

Described by Buckingham Palace as “a deep quiche with a light, crisp pastry shell and delicate flavors of spinach, broad beans and fresh tarragon”, the dish is intended as a way for royalists to celebrate King Charles’s formal coronation in May .

The so-called ‘coronation quiche’ is scheduled for ‘Big Lunches’ across Britain on 7 May, the day after the coronation, which are expected to include nationwide celebrations and community events.

However, some observers were quick to call the prescription not to be in touch. The UK is currently experiencing a cost of living crisis and egg prices in particular have soared with egg production at an all time low.

“Read the room, poshos. People can’t afford their weekly groceries anymore,” one person She said on Twitter after the recipe, along with a video of a royal chef dressed in an embroidered white uniform, was posted on the Buckingham Palace website.

Another on Twitter posted a image of empty egg shelves in a supermarket, writing, “And what are we supposed to make this coronation quiche with?”

Last summer, British egg farmers threatened to strike if they weren’t paid more, after the aftermath of Russia’s war in Ukraine drove up the price of chicken feed. Shortly thereafter, the UK was hit by the largest outbreak of bird flu on record.

British news website The Independent reported that British supermarket Asda raised the cost of 12 large open-air eggs by 33p to £2.80 (from $0.41 to $3.48) in recent weeks. months.

Meanwhile other observers took to social media to express their excitement at trying the dish, with Prue Leith, the judge of Britain’s baking competition, the Great British Bake Off, dubbing the quiche “delicious”.

Food critics from The Guardian newspaper questioned the use of lard, saying it tasted “more like spinach pie than quiche” and noted that it was unclear “whether anyone will remember [this quiche] in 70 years”.

The announcement of a royal dish is not a new phenomenon: when the late Queen Elizabeth was crowned in 1953, the “poulet reine Elizabeth” was her festive meal.

The dish, colloquially known as ‘coronation chicken’, has become a British staple and can be found everywhere from so-called Tesco sandwiches to homemade salads.

The quiche was apparently chosen because it can be easily shared, can be eaten hot or cold, can be adapted to be vegetarian (the original recipe contains lard), and is quite simple and inexpensive to prepare.

Whether the egg-filled coronation quiche even tastes good is a question you can answer for yourself. Below is the full Buckingham Palace recipe. There is also a video demonstration of the cooking process on the royal.uk website.

Quiche of the coronation of the king and queen consort

ingredients
Pastry

\- 125 g of 00 flour \- a pinch of salt \- 25 g of diced cold butter \- 25 g of lard \- 2 tablespoons of milk Or 1 block of ready-made shortcrust pastry of 250 g

Filling

\- 125ml milk \- 175ml heavy cream \- 2 medium eggs \- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon \- salt and pepper \- 100g grated cheddar \- 180g cooked spinach, lightly chopped \- 60 g of cooked beans or soybeans

Method

1. To prepare the shortcrust pastry \- Sift the flour and salt into a bowl; add the fats and rub the mixture together using your fingertips until you have a sandy texture, similar to breadcrumbs. \- Add the milk a little at a time and mix the ingredients until you get a dough. \- Cover and leave to rest in the fridge for 30-45 minutes 2. Lightly flour the work surface and roll out the dough into a circle slightly larger than the top edge of the mold and about 5mm thick. 3. Line the mold with the shortcrust pastry, being careful not to create holes otherwise the mixture could leak out. Cover and leave to rest for another 30 minutes in the refrigerator. 4. Preheat the oven to 190°C. 5. Line the pan with baking paper, add the beans and bake in the dark for 15 minutes, before removing the baking paper and beans. 6. Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C. 7. Whisk together the milk, cream, eggs, herbs and dressing. 8. Spread half of the grated cheese over the blind cooked base, add the chopped spinach, beans and herbs, then pour over the liquid mixture. 9. If necessary, stir the mixture gently to ensure that the filling is evenly distributed, but be careful not to damage the pastry. 10. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until set and lightly browned.