Royal Chef Reveals the Comforting Dish Prince William and Harry Love
"If they saw me cooking this one, they knew it was going to be a fun lunch."
We all have at least one “comfort food” meal that we like to whip up whenever we want to feel better. Whether we’re under the weather or just having a not-great day, there’s nothing like a bite of our favorite flavors to turn things around. For some it’s a warm and soothing bowl of soup, while others might prefer ordering an extra-large pizza with the works.
You might expect royal siblings like Prince William and Harry to request something on the fancier side of the culinary spectrum when they’re looking for a cozy meal. Probably something difficult to pronounce and topped with caviar, right? According to former palace chef Darren McGrady, they actually gravitated toward a much more humble dish: cottage pie.
The recipe is a mixture of ground beef with onions and gravy, then topped with mashed potatoes, herbs, and cheese. William and Harry were apparently fond of requesting this meal when they returned home from long weeks at boarding school. “They’d come into the kitchen all the time and if they saw me cooking this one, they knew it was going to be a fun lunch.”
McGrady shared his steps for creating the savory dish with Delish, plus a few tidbits about what it was like to see the princes growing up in the palace. “William and Harry were in the kitchen all the time, whether it was to find out what was for lunch or just play hide and seek or just come through and chat,” he explained. “Sometimes they’d want to come through and cook, that was always worrying — but it was always fun having the boys in the kitchen.” McGrady also had a laugh remembering the time William “helped” him cook stuffed eggplant for Diana, only to drop the plate as soon as she walked in and have it smash on the ground.
Take a look at the video below to hear more heartwarming stories and see how you can cook up your own royally-approved cottage pie:
Anyone else suddenly hungry? No wonder William and Harry got excited when they saw this on the menu growing up. We hope the brothers get the chance to meet up soon and enjoy this childhood favorite – and the all the sweet memories attached to it!
