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Royal Chef Reveals Queen Elizabeth’s Meaty and Filling Favorite Meal

Unsurprisingly, she likes to keep things traditional.

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Former royal chef Darren McGrady has given us a lot of insider info when it comes to the food he whipped up while working for the Windors. We know that Prince William and Harry craved a comforting and savory dish when they arrived home from boarding school as teens. On the other hand, their mom Princess Diana preferred to keep things on the lighter side with recipes like stuffed peppers. It turns out, Queen Elizabeth likes a little bit of both when it comes to her favorite meal. 

According to McGrady, Elizabeth was always a big fan of Gaelic steaks. The traditional Irish and Scottish dish can be made with beef tenderloin, but apparently the queen usually preferred venison. Whichever meat you choose, it’s served with a creamy sauce made of mushrooms and onions drizzled on top. McGrady would also pair Elizabeth’s meal with a mash mixture of potatoes and parsnips, and a garnish of baby potatoes — all of which he would get from the gardens on the estate. 

“Calories didn’t really matter,” McGrady claims. “We could use as much cream and butter as we wanted.” Despite how rich that might sound, Elizabeth is apparently also vigilant about eating in moderation. For example, she usually avoided the starchy side dish when eating on her own, but would partake when entertaining. He also remembers how she was able to satisfy her sweet tooth without going overboard: “It amazed me that we would send a great big chocolate cake up for her to have with afternoon tea, and she would just take the tiniest slice… Me, I would have eaten it all!” 

Elizabeth also liked to keep things consistent with three day menus planned out in advance, usually repeating the same recipes again and again. That said, she would occasionally return from a visit to another part of the globe and request the kitchen try recreating some of the dishes she had — like a spicy Caribbean soup that even inspired her to lift her ban on garlic showing up in her food.

In any case, there’s nothing wrong with knowing what you like and sticking to it. Take a look to below see how McGrady prepares Gaelic steak and hear more stories about his time cooking for the royal family:

We certainly wouldn’t mind sitting down to this delicious plate of food for dinner tonight!

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