Whilst the royals may have been planning Charle’s coronation for years, operating under the code name Operation Golden Orb, we haven’t been quite as prepared when planning our own celebrations. Now is the time however, to decide how you’ll be commemorating this once in a lifetime event with your friends and family.
Charles and Camilla have declared a quiche as the official coronation dish, with the aim for it to be cooked at home as part of a nationwide feast: the coronation big lunch. Why not celebrate with friends, family or neighbours and have go at making the official recipe?
Coronation Quiche Recipe:
x 1 20cm flan dish, serves 6
Ingredients
Pastry
125g plain flour
Pinch of salt
25g cold butter, diced
25g lard
2 tablespoons milk
Or 1 x 250g block of ready-made shortcrust pastry
Filling
125ml milk
175ml double cream
2 medium eggs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon,
Salt and pepper
100g grated cheddar cheese,
180g cooked spinach, lightly chopped
60g cooked broad beans or soya beans
Method
To make the pastry…
Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl; add the fats and rub the mixture together using your finger tips until you get a sandy, breadcrumb like texture.
Add the milk a little at a time and bring the ingredients together into a dough.
Cover and allow to rest in the fridge for 30-45 minutes
Lightly flour the work surface and roll out the pastry to a circle a little larger than the top of the tin and approximately 5mm thick.
Line the tin with the pastry, taking care not to have any holes or the mixture could leak. Cover and rest for a further 30 minutes in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 190°C.
Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper, add baking beans and bake blind for 15 minutes, before removing the greaseproof paper and baking beans.
Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C.
Beat together the milk, cream, eggs, herbs and seasoning.
Scatter 1/2 of the grated cheese in the blind-baked base, top with the chopped spinach and beans and herbs, then pour over the liquid mixture.
If required gently give the mixture a delicate stir to ensure the filling is evenly dispersed but be careful not to damage the pastry case.
Sprinkle over the remaining cheese. Place into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until set and lightly golden.
Now the food’s sorted, our minds can wander to the decor…
Madder Cutch & Co are always in favour of natural and sustainable decorations which can be reused or repurposed. You can’t go wrong with red, white and blue. If you’re feeling crafty, why not whip up some bunting using some of our lovely linen quarters, available in packs of greys and blues, reds and pinks or mixed. Or make use of our linen napkins in madder red pinecone or slate foliage to set off your tablescape whilst keeping to the colour scheme!
Floral decorations always look beautiful and can be dried as a keepsake or decoration for future use. Why not play a game with your guests of creating a floral display whilst trying to guess what the chosen flowers will be for the coronation?
Our guess? Charles has previously revealed that his favourite bloom is the delphinium, stating, "For me, the magnificent, gloriously appareled delphinium, with its impeccable bearing and massed in platoons, holds pride of place in my botanical affections.”, so this could feature. Another possibility is that the King might opt for flowers to represent the UK. Perhaps a rose for England, thistle for Scotland, daffodil for Wales and shamrock or flax for Northern Island.
King Charles III has been a longstanding advocate for environmental issues so it only seems fitting to plan a greener Coronation celebration. Opt for local and seasonal ingredients when planning your feast, avoid single use plastics for cutlery and plates and decorate using reusable or biodegradable options. Consider potted plants or flowers that can be planted afterwards.
Want to go one step further? Celebrate the King’s ethical values and plant a tree to mark the occasion, making sure to use the #GreenerCoronation on social media to share your Greener Coronation ideas and help inspire others.