Channel: Britclip

Category: Entertainment

Tags: english dessert recipesenglish puddingsbompas and parreating challengekenilworth castlebompasbompass and parr jellycustard tartseatingfoodbanquet tablebehind the scenesbompass and parr eventsenglish desserts

Description: Two top chefs have recreated a 300 dish banquet, adding up to a staggering 320,000 calories feast thought to have been served as part of a 19-day extravaganza for Queen Elizabeth I. A 300-dish dessert banquet believed to have been served to Queen Elizabeth I has been recreated by top jelly chefs Bompas and Parr at Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire, England. With towering sugar sculptures, gold-gilded jelly, a galaxy of custard tarts, the banquet was totally unique. It was based on a feast thought to have been served in 1575 as part of a 19-day extravaganza put on by Sir Robert Dudley, the owner of Kenilworth castle for Elizabeth I. The 5.5m (18.04ft) x 1.5m (4.92ft) banquet table included elements of the garden where the feast is being served, with a replica of a central fountain the centerpiece, and the bird aviary. The culinary world at that time was very different from our own which is reflected in the unusual ingredients used for the banquet. A quarter of a tonne of sugar was used for the sculptures along with dried sturgeon stomach, 24 carat gold at £26 a gram, whale vomit, and pigs bladder skins. The lack of measurements in recipes’ found from that era also made the task incredibly challenging. In attendance were members of the public who came along to taste the feast along with Queen Elizabeth I and Sir Robert Dudley (look-a-likes). The chefs who created the feast were duo Bompas and Parr, whose spectacular food installations have graced such venues as the Barbican, Tate Modern, and the V&A. The banquet was recreated for one day only and was a celebration to mark the first anniversary of the opening of the Elizabethan gardens at Kenilworth castle.