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The Downton Abbey Guide to Tailgating

The Downton Abbey Guide to Tailgating

(Bloomberg Businessweek) -- As blockbuster films go, the stakes are pretty low. Unlike in Avengers: Endgame, the brave heroes of Downton Abbey don’t have to face an intergalactic megavillain bent on destroying half the life in the universe. Instead, they must prepare a fancy house for the king and queen of England, who are popping by for lunch.

But for Carson and Lady Mary and the rest of the beloved show’s characters, it’s serious business. A lot of Downton Abbey’s drama takes place in the downstairs kitchen or around the upstairs dining room table, and such events as the arrival of a refrigerator—modern technology at the time—are major episode events. Luckily for viewers, we have The Official Downton Abbey Cookbook by Annie Gray (Weldon Owen, $35) for home chefs who might want to play along. In the world of commemorative cookbooks, it’s not as ridiculous as, say, Baking Bad or Game of Scones.

The Downton Abbey Guide to Tailgating

Handily, the release of the cookbook corresponds to prime tailgating season. The Downton Abbey era had its own version of sports-related snacking, and a chapter is devoted to food served at cricket matches, shoots, and horse races. Because there were no cooks on site, fare was designed to be portable and easy to serve. It also had to last a while in a basket and not be so messy that it could dirty up linen suits and white dresses.

Shooting lunches often featured a cold, roasted bird with a sauce kept hot in a flask to sustain hungry hunters. A sausage roll (below), Downton’s answer to pigs in a blanket, could be conveniently stuffed into a pocket while waiting for a pheasant to be flushed out of the bush. (They also fit into car cup holders, for a more contemporary meal on the go.) In the refreshment tent at a steeplechase, you might find a savory meat pie stuffed with ground veal and pork, plus bacon and hard-boiled eggs in an elaborate crust.

The Downton Abbey Guide to Tailgating

Likewise, potted cheese—a mix of cheese ends and wine served with toasts—was a snack that could sustain you for a little while but wasn’t so heavy that it would ruin a black-tie dinner. For cricket there were “games cakes,” desserts that bakers began to market specifically for sporting events and decorate with cricket balls and grass made of frosting. Gray notes that the cakes also could be decorated with nets and rackets for a tennis match, or with a boat for sailing.

The cookbook can be bought with The Official Downton Abbey Cocktail Book (Weldon Owen, $23), which has a chapter devoted to the kinds of beverages ideal for consumption at outdoor events where everyone has a witty retort at the ready. The drinks are designed to be refreshing and not too alcoholic, such as the Champagne Cobbler: a mix of sparkling wine, rich simple syrup, berries, citrus twists, and plenty of crushed ice to cool down sportsmen and sportswomen in a hurry.

What the books don’t include are the recipes for the film’s climactic meal, served (one can hope) to King George V and Queen Mary. But, as Carson would probably advise, best to leave that to the help.

The Downton Abbey Guide to Tailgating

Sausage Rolls

Makes 11

Vegetable oil, for brushing
 12 oz. Italian sausage meat, removed from casings if in links
22 oz. package of prepared bread or pizza dough, thawed if frozen
Chutney or relish (optional)

Brush a sheet pan with oil. Divide dough into 11 equal pieces, flatten each one slightly, and transfer to a work surface. Divide sausage into 11 equal, ­football-shaped pieces and set on dough rounds. Enclose meat in dough, sealing it tightly to form an oval package. Arrange rolls on prepared sheet with some space between them. Cover loosely with a damp kitchen cloth and let stand in a warm spot until slightly risen, about 20 minutes. Heat oven to 425F. Bake rolls for about 20 minutes, until golden and sausage is heated through. Let cool slightly, then serve with chutney or relish.

The Downton Abbey Guide to Tailgating

Potted Wine Cheese

Makes about 1 cup 

4 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter at room temperature, plus 2 Tbsp. melted butter, preferably clarified
1 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. ground mace
½ tsp. freshly ground white pepper
5 to 6 Tbsp. dry white wine
Bread slices or toast, for serving

The Downton Abbey Guide to Tailgating

In a food processor, or using a mortar and pestle, process the cheese until almost smooth. Add the room temperature butter, sugar, mace, pepper, and wine, and mix well. Pack into a jar and pour the clarified butter on top. Refrigerate until set. Serve chilled or at room temperature with bread or warm toast, which allows the butter to melt.

The Downton Abbey Guide to Tailgating

Champagne Cobbler

Serves 1 

½ oz. rich simple syrup (see note)
Pebble ice or crushed ice
Brut sparkling wine or Champagne
Lemon twist and orange twist
Mixed berries

Pour the simple syrup into a double Old Fashioned glass and fill two-thirds with pebble ice. Fill the glass with sparkling wine, squeeze the citrus zests over the glass and add to the glass. Mix in the berries and serve.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Chris Rovzar at crovzar@bloomberg.net, James Gaddy

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