The Meal Gordon Ramsay Once Cooked For Princess Diana
Princess Diana, though having tragically died in 1997, remains one of the most captivating and beloved members of the British royal family, both at home and abroad. As a princess once destined to become queen, a mother, a style icon, and a humanitarian, Diana has been continually praised for the grace and poise she showed in the face of adversity. As Boston University points out, she was often referred to as "The People's Princess," a figure that helped shake up the at-time staid façade of the monarchy and humanize it.
Being a princess meant that Diana led a distinctly opulent life, including access to personal chefs, foreign receptions, fine restaurants, royal events, and haute cuisine, and she was a big fan of food, especially fresh, light, and vibrant flavors. Speaking with The Times of India, royal chef Darren McGrady remembers her favorite meal included "bell peppers stuffed with zucchini, mushrooms, rice, garlic topped with Parmesan and mozzarella and finished with a smoked tomato and pepper sauce."
Like any member of the upper crust, Diana was a frequent diner at some of the best restaurants in London, which Stylist says included Hotel Cafe Royal and L'Escargot. She even had the chance to dine at one of the restaurants of then up-and-coming chef Gordon Ramsay, who says her visit was a high-point of his career.
A simple meal without pretension
Ramsay spoke to the Daily Mail about Princess Diana's visit to his restaurant Aubergine. "I think it was a pressed leek terrine and her main course was sea bass," Ramsay recalled, sharing that his main takeaway was the complete lack of pretension the Princess showed, making no demands and ditching her security detail at the door.
You Magazine also asked Ramsay about his interaction with Diana. "It was an amazing moment meeting such a wonderful lady. She was asking me about the specials and it was an incredible six minutes at the table that you never forget," he said. "She was so gracious and as a 27-year-old cook you just think 'This lady's amazing.'"
While Ramsay's recollection of the meal is less-than perfect, he is well-versed in cooking seafood in general, and sea bass specifically. On his website, he features a recipe for the fish paired with bright ingredients like eggplant, tomatoes, and garlic alongside Israeli couscous.
While it seems apparent that Princess Diana's tastes tended towards unfussy preparations of lean proteins and vegetables, she still had a healthy sweet tooth, McGrady shared with Hello, and would often make her way to the royal kitchen to chat with the chef and request his preparation of crepe soufflé, a light and airy, yet rich dessert bathed in cream and a fruit glaze.