A very British Christmas

A very British Christmas Pudding With a French Connection… William of Normandy enjoying a feast with his nobles – on the menu chicken on skewers and stew cooked on a wood oven. Ever since 1066 when William, Duke of Normandy conquered England, the language of the English and then the British followed a different route. For the next 300 years French became the language of the English courts, eventually filtering through into everyday use. It’s estimated that to this day there are some 7000 originally French words still in use in the UK – from attaché to zest. And it wasn’t just the language that took hold. The food did too. By all accounts William had a robust appetite. It’s said he got so large that at one point he put himself on a diet of wine and spirits... It didn’t work. The culture of French dishes of the time was strictly for the rich, us peasants continued to eat whatever was affordable as usual. In the royal kitchens, French chefs ruled and French cuisine remained popular – and still is. An advert posted for a sous chef based in Buckingham Palace in 2021 required that applicants be “thoroughly trained in classical French cuisine.” Two of France’s most famous chefs worked for the British royal family. The great Auguste Escoffier often cooked for King Edward VII and was known as “the king of chefs, and chef of kings.’ Marie-Antoine Carême, arguably the first celebrity chef, worked for George, Prince of Wales, the future King George IV, in 1816 and was reportedly paid a fortune for his services. French gastronomy’s influence on British cuisine can be found in several dishes, sausages from saucisson, blancmange and cottage pie, an adaptation of hachis parmentier (minced beef and mashed potatoes). And even that most British of puddings – the great Christmas Pudding, has a soupcon of French influence… Now, before I get a million emails telling me I’m wrong, Christmas Pudding, also known as plum pudding, is of course a British invention and a beloved tradition for Christmas Day. It should have 13 ingredients to represent Jesus and the 12 disciples, traditionally boiled in pudding cloth and be decorated with a sprig of holly to represent Jesus’ crown of thorns. And before serving you should pour brandy over it and set fire to it. Yes. If you’re not British and reading this. We really do this. 24 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 25