Much has been said of the royal family’s individual eating habits (Queen Elizabeth loves chocolate! Princess Diana avoided red meat!) but this one dish was reportedly universally loved by the fam. In an interview with Country Living UK, the royals’ former chef Enrico Derflingher reveals the relatively simple meal that was a “favorite of the royal household.”
The dish in question is called the Queen Victoria Risotto, a creamy rice made with Sicilian red shrimp, parmesan, herbs, and Italian sparkling wine. “The baptism of the dish took place during the first encounter between Ronald Reagan and Michail Gorbachev at the end of the Cold War. I then put my twist on it and served it at important state events at Buckingham Palace and the White House,” he said.
VIDEO: Queen Elizabeth Just “Couldn’t Resist” Adding Another Corgi to Her Brood
It’s important to note that Derflingher was also the personal chef to George Bush Sr. during his presidency. Nowadays, he’s consultant chef at the CastaDiva Resort and Spa near Lake Como in Italy, where the risotto is on the menu so you can try for yourself.
The chef worked for the British royal family from 1987 to 1990, working primarily at Kensington Palace and cooking for large banquets, including one Garden Party hosted by the Queen at Balmoral Castle, Scotland.
RELATED: 7 Highlights from HBO’s Princess Diana Documentary Diana, Our Mother
If it’s good enough for the Queen’s dinner parties, it’s certainly good enough for ours.