The Royal Chef At Home: Easy Seasonal Entertaining

O ne of the highlights of my eleven years at Buckingham Palace was catering Royal lunch at The Derby Stakes, a horse race held on the first Saturday of June at Epsom Downs and dating back to the early 1800’s. It’s one of Britain’s greatest national sporting events and Her Majesty, a huge fan of horse racing, looks forward to it every year. We would arrive at the course early and prepare a delicious lunch in the Royal box for the Queen and her guests. Once served, the rest of the afternoon was free for us chefs to wander the racecourse and take a look at the fillies—both two and four legged. When I moved to the USA I missed those horse racing events. Sure we have a racecourse in Dallas but it doesn’t host grand events like Royal Ascot or The Derby Stakes back home. The only thing that comes close is the Kentucky Derby held annually in Louisville on the first Saturday in May. Known as “the fastest two minutes in sports,” it attracts a similar crowd like the English Derby, dressed to the nines and ready to party. I look forward to this event every year and as much as I wish I could be there, I simply can’t. Instead I host my own Kentucky Derby Party inviting friends over who dress up for lunch and come to watch the races. Of course, I’ve replaced the obligatory Pimms Cup with a mint julep and my recipes are Southern inspired. KENTUCKY DERBY PARTY

57 SPRING · KENTUCKY DERBY PARTY