Launceston Examiner 18 Apr 1887 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39529800
This year the Melbourne Food and Wine festival is going to recreate the jubilee feast celebrated by Queen Victoria in 1887.
On Friday, for a mere $275, guests will be served wine and a six course banquet with dishes such as guinea fowl and rabbit consommé.
I wonder how close to the original 1887 feast this 2012 dinner will be. I suspect that the meal will be a little more in line with current day fashion and more politically correct than the actual meal eaten by Queen Victoria and her guests. You know, less venison and tongue and more fashionably cooked baby vegetables and pretentious sauces.
A pie like the one from Yorkshire described in this story is unlikely to be part of the celebration. This gastronomic monstrosity had it all; sheep, beef, pigeon, hare, rabbits, poultry, ducks, pheasants, grouse, geese, partridges, turkeys, guinea fowl, small birds…. the only thing that didn’t make it in were the horses pulling the cart! This article brings to mind Noah’s Ark, but instead of a boat it is a huge oven with a heavy pastry door being slammed shut behind them.
If there is something unusual that you have eaten, or perhaps avoided eating, share it with me!
I’ve had alligator on a couple of occasions, and enjoyed it thoroughly.
Nothing, though, like the pie mentioned in the article. Imagine how long that took to bake, or how many cooks were involved.
And didn’t they feel some pressure to get it right – it wasn’t every day that Victoria came to town to dine.