flipGrilled Salmon and Spinach, the Queen's Frugal Way
Grilled Salmon and Spinach, the Queen's Frugal Way
Why this dish? Elizabeth II ate grilled or poached fish with green vegetables almost every day for lunch, banning starches at midday — a dietary discipline her chef Darren McGrady described many times. Scottish salmon, caught near Balmoral, was the centerpiece.
A fillet of simply grilled salmon, accompanied by wilted spinach and a squeeze of lemon: the quintessence of a royal lunch, healthy, simple, and without fuss.
People often imagine we are surrounded by feasts, but the truth is simpler: at midday, We take a piece of salmon from Our Scottish rivers, some spinach, and nothing more — no potatoes or bread. Discipline, you see, is cultivated even on the plate. Our chef knows that a squeeze of lemon is enough, and that one must never, ever overcook fish. That is how you hold the course for seventy years.
- •Scottish salmon — one fine fillet per person (centerpiece)
- •Fresh spinach — a large handful per person (accompanying vegetable)
- •Farm butter — a knob (fat)
- •Lemon — a few wedges (acidity)
- •Salt and pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Grilled Salmon and Spinach, the Queen's Frugal Way
A fillet of simply grilled salmon, accompanied by wilted spinach and a squeeze of lemon: the quintessence of a royal lunch, healthy, simple, and without fuss.
Why this dish? Elizabeth II ate grilled or poached fish with green vegetables almost every day for lunch, banning starches at midday — a dietary discipline her chef Darren McGrady described many times. Scottish salmon, caught near Balmoral, was the centerpiece.
People often imagine we are surrounded by feasts, but the truth is simpler: at midday, We take a piece of salmon from Our Scottish rivers, some spinach, and nothing more — no potatoes or bread. Discipline, you see, is cultivated even on the plate. Our chef knows that a squeeze of lemon is enough, and that one must never, ever overcook fish. That is how you hold the course for seventy years.
Ingredients (period version)
- Scottish salmon — one fine fillet per person (centerpiece)
- Fresh spinach — a large handful per person (accompanying vegetable)
- Farm butter — a knob (fat)
- Lemon — a few wedges (acidity)
- Salt and pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Salmon fillets with skin — 4 × 150 g (centerpiece)
- Fresh spinach — 600 g (accompanying vegetable)
- Butter — 30 g (fat)
- Lemon — 1, cut into wedges (acidity)
- Olive oil — 1 tbsp (cooking)
- Salt, pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Pat the salmon fillets dry, season the skin with salt and pepper.
- Heat a pan with a drizzle of oil and place the salmon skin-side down; cook for 4-5 minutes without moving to get a crispy skin.
- Flip and cook for 2 minutes: the center should remain translucent.
- In another pan, melt the butter and add the spinach; stir until wilted (2 minutes), season with salt.
- Plate the salmon on the spinach, serve with lemon wedges. No starch: the Queen would not want any.
How it was made : In the royal kitchens, fish was grilled or poached to order, never breaded or weighed down with sauce. McGrady recounts that the Queen sent back overcooked salmon. Freshness took precedence over elaboration.
The contemporary twist : A dollop of crème fraîche whipped with horseradish transforms this ascetic lunch into a reception dish without betraying the spirit.
Sources : Darren McGrady, Eating Royally (2007) · Interviews of Darren McGrady, former Buckingham Palace chef
Elizabeth II · Charactorium
