The Rich Cheddar Darren McGrady Loves In King Charles III Baked Eggs
Montgomery cheese has been around for more than a century. This classic British cheese is made from the milk of Jersey cows that have been raised by Montgomery's makers, who are based in the southwest of England. Cheesemongers like Stamford Cheese like to point out that the farm even makes use of the same enzyme culture that it has used for more than 70 years to make its cheese before it is aged for 18 months. The process leaves the cheese with a nutty, sweet flavor and a hint of bitterness, but with a dry and grainy texture. Still, it can be eaten with crackers or cooked up into a bechamel sauce.
Montgomery cheese may not be as well known on this side of the Atlantic, but it's a favorite in Britain, where one of its fans, former royal chef Darren McGrady noted, "This is my favorite cheddar in the whole wide universe. If you've never tried it, it's absolutely gorgeous."
McGrady uses Montgomery cheese to pull together his version of cheesy baked eggs, which is said to be a favorite of King Charles III. The recipe was first shared on Instagram by the King's former office in Clarence House, but it's since been updated (and posted on YouTube) by McGrady who chose to put his own spin on the royal favorite to mark the King's coronation.
Montgomery cheese was not used in the original recipe
The dining habits of UK's King Charles III aren't really a secret, thanks to past revelations by staff who have worked with him before, and by his former office at Clarence House. We know, for instance, that the former Prince of Wales doesn't eat lunch. That he leans into a mostly plant-based diet because he doesn't consume meat, fish, or dairy regularly. And that he and Queen Camilla enjoy meals created with the bounty grown from their own estate.
The original recipe for the King's cheesy baked eggs calls for a selection of soft and grated hard British cheeses, but McGrady changes that recipe up by recommending his favorite Montgomery cheese. In his YouTube video, McGrady explains, "Any chance I get to use the Montgomery cheddar, I use it."
McGrady recommends you use Montgomery cheddar too, if you can get your hands on it. Although the cheese is made with unpasteurized milk (which would normally prevent it from being imported into the United States), because it is aged over a year, it is available in the United States.
But even if you're not using Montgomery cheddar or the King's recommended cheese Old Winchester, enjoying a British cheese will still put you in the King's favor. In the original Clarence House Instagram post, sharing the cheesy baked eggs recipe was a way for the then Prince of Wales to support his country's cheesemakers, who were badly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic when sales dropped, leaving many with huge amounts of inventory.