This classic recipe was the creation of Rosa Lewis whose life story was
the inspiration for the classic Edwardian television series. The Duchess of
Duke Street. Rosa was famous for her game sauces and quail pudding,
created for her long-time friend King Edward VII who dined regular at this
famous hotel.
Bernard Shaw wrote Pygmalion while staying at the CavendishHotel and
based the chractacter of Professor Higgins around Lord Ribblesdale and
Eliza around Rosa.
Ingredients
50g / 2 oz butter
Pinch of fine herbs
12 quail breasts, skin removed
450g / 1lb Aberdeen Angus Beef, fat removed, cut into thin slices
75g / 3 oz button mushrooms
50g / 2 oz shallots, sliced
150ml / 5 fl oz fresh orange juice
1 sprig of fresh thyme
2 tablespoons brandy
Salt and freshly milled black pepper
150ml/ 5 fl oz game sauce
225g / 8 oz suet pastry (see pastry)
Method
Melt the butter in a large frying pan, add the herbs, quail breasts, button
mushrooms and shallots and pan-fry them for 6 minutes. Remove the
breasts from the pan.
Add the orange juice, thyme, brandy and seasoning to the pan and simmer
for at least 20 minutes until the liquid is reduced by half.