Name: Royal chef reveals which dessert recipe left Queen Elizabeth “annoyed”
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered (or any other soft berries)1 orange (zest only); 1 tbsp orange liquor (or orange juice); ¼ cup sugar; 4 slices whole wheat bread (pulsed into crumbs); ½ cup Muscovado sugar ( or regular brown sugar); 1 tsp cinnamon; 1 cup cream (whipped)

What does a rough day at the office look like for a Royal Chef? Perhaps a rebuke from Queen Elizabeth herself?

Chef Darren McGrady served as royal chef for 15 years, preparing meals for the likes of Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Princess Diana, and Princes William and Harry. He has also cooked for five US presidents. Impressive resume!

He has many stories to tell about working closely with the royals, and seems to have particularly fond memories of working for Diana, for whom he prepared day-to-day meals from 1993 until her death in 1997.

Darren prepared meals for Diana every day for four years. (Credit: @darren_mcgrady, Instagram)

Menu fit for a Queen

In a YouTube video posted just weeks before Queen Elizabeth’s passing in 2022, Chef Darren describes the one time he made her “a little bit frustrated”.

The Queen communicated with her chefs through a red, leather-bound menu book called “The Menu Royale”. Through this, Darren would suggest options for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner. She would choose what she wanted from those meals, and he would get about three days’ notice. Sounds foolproof, right?

We are not amused

For the most part, says Darren, the Queen ate the same menu with the same dishes. But when a new recipe was added to the menu, the Queen liked to see it first. If you didn’t send the recipe up to the Queen, you might have received a handwritten note of reprimand:

“What or who are The Veiled Farmer’s Daughters?!”

Chef Darren with the note Queen Elizabeth sent to the kitchens when he failed to send her the recipe. (Credit: Darren McGrady)

From royal disdain to a new favourite

“At Balmoral Castle, we have an abundance of strawberries in the gardens,” explains Darren. “I found this unique recipe called Tilslørte Bondepiker, which translates to Veiled Farmer’s Daughter.”

Darren put it on the menu but forgot to send the recipe to Her Majesty!

Veiled Farmer’s Daughter is a popular Scandinavian dessert which is very easy to make. The dish is traditionally made with pureed apples, but in the summer, apples are substituted with strawberries or other soft berries.

The Queen enjoyed eating seasonally and would eat strawberries three or four nights a week at Balmoral when they were in season. But, if you were to send strawberries up when they weren’t in season, “when they taste like carrots…off with your head, off to the Tower!” adds Darren in a cheeky joke.

Once Darren sent the recipe up and it was approved by Queen Elizabeth, she went on to order it again and again.

Try it for yourself, recipe below.

After the initial confusion, Tilslørte Bondepiker became a favoured dessert for Queen Elizabeth. (Credit: @darren_mcgrady, Instagram)

Veiled Farmer’s Daughter (Tilslørte Bondepiker)

Ingredients

2 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered (or any other soft berries)1 orange (zest only)

1 tbsp orange liquor (or orange juice)

¼ cup sugar

4 slices whole wheat bread (pulsed into crumbs)

½ cup Muscovado sugar ( or regular brown sugar)

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup cream (whipped)

Method

Step 1.

Mix the breadcrumbs with the Muscovado sugar and cinnamon and bake in the oven at 180°C for about 8-10 minutes, or until crisp. Stir and allow to cool.

Step 2.

Mix together the strawberries, orange liquor, orange zest, and sugar and stir well.

Step 3.

Layer some of the berries into four sundae glasses (or other clear glasses) and top with a little whipped cream, followed by the breadcrumb mix.

Step 4.

Repeat, to create layers ending with the breadcrumb mix.

More royal inspiration

Watch a video of Darren making Veiled Farmer’s Daughter, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more recipes and royal anecdotes. You can also follow him on Instagram, where he posts regularly.

Erin Roberts Content Producer

After completing a Bachelor of Communication in Creative Writing at UTS and a Graduate Certificate in Editing and Electronic Publishing at Macquarie University, Erin finally found her dream job at Are Media in 2022, working across New Idea Food, Diabetic Living, Women's Weekly Food, and Better Homes & Gardens. During her time at Are Media, Erin has worked across both print and digital titles. Although a writer and sub-editor by training, Erin is a passionate foodie at heart. When off-duty, you’ll find Erin in her happy place - her kitchen - baking up a storm, or pounding the pavement as a (very) amateur runner. One of her proudest moments was the first time her macarons had ‘feet’. Erin was also one of the masses who learnt to make sourdough during lockdown, and still bakes fresh loaves for her family each week. Erin is a mum to two boys who are very supportive of her hobby and are enthusiastic taste testers!