As the world mourns her passing, Queen Elizabeth II’s iconic legacy is more evident than ever. Her strength of character and fascinating experiences are drawing the world’s interest and one way that people are identifying with her more than ever is through food. Though one wouldn’t imagine the royals spending their days in the kitchen, it turns out that the Queen had more than a few recipes up her sleeve that she was particularly fond of.
Aside from her well-documented love of teatime, she was also a big believer in starting the day with a good, hearty breakfast. Among two of the recipes that have emerged is her surprising twist on how she took her scrambled eggs and her signature pancake recipe.
The egg recipe was shared by Chef and Nutritionist Lee Holmes who received the recipe from an unnamed friend who had cooked for the Queen in the past and claimed that this was her favourite option for a protein-rich breakfast. The addition of lemon zest and nutmeg has confused netizens, but Holmes claims that the acidic lift and mild fragrance of nutmeg do wonders for the otherwise simple dish.
Her pancake recipe – or Drop Scones as they were known – was first shared in a letter to President Dwight D. Eisenhower back in 1960 and this piece of history was thought to be a favourite of the Queen’s for a light breakfast or a teatime snack.
Below are the recipes for the two, now-famous dishes if you’d like to start your morning like royalty.
Scrambled Eggs with Lemon and Nutmeg
Ingredients:
- 3 organic (brown) eggs
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp butter/extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- A pinch of ground nutmeg
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- Sea salt (to taste)
- Snipped chives
Method:
- Whisk the eggs and milk in a bowl until thoroughly mixed, and add salt to taste.
- Heat the butter or olive oil in a small frying pan on low–medium heat.
- Add the egg mixture and turn the heat even lower as you slowly stir the eggs with a spatula, making sure they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
- As the eggs set sprinkle in your lemon zest and nutmeg.
- Finish with salt, and pepper and stir to combine.
- Sprinkle over the chives before serving.
The Queen’s Drop Scones
Ingredients
- 4 teacups flour
- 4 tablespoons caster sugar (or granulated sugar)
- 2 teacups milk
- 2 whole eggs
- 2 teaspoons bicarbonate soda (or baking soda)
- 3 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- P.S. 1 teacup = ¾ cup
Method
As per her recipe:
- “Beat eggs, sugar, and about half the milk together, add flour, and mix well together, adding the remainder of milk as required, also bicarbonate and cream of tartar, fold in the melted butter."
Further Steps:
- Heat up a griddle pan and add some butter to melt.
- When the butter starts to bubble, add in a tablespoon of the batter.
- When bubbles start to form around the edge of the pancake flip it to the other side.
- Cook until golden and serve warm.