Food - Drink
The Food King Charles Enjoys Foraging At Balmoral Castle
By MICHELLE WELSCH
Royal chef Darren McGrady has years of experience preparing food for the British royal family, and when invited by King Charles to Balmoral Castle, McGradt recalls using wild ingredients found on the estate to prepare meals. This would often involve a bit of foraging — and King Charles would participate.
McGrady combed through Balmoral's 50,000 acre estate to forage for mushrooms together with King Charles and the late chef and restauranteur Antonio Carluccio. Carluccio was known for his love of foraging and passion for Italian cuisine, and since the king adores Italian food, McGrady once made wild mushroom risotto for him.
McGrady tells Insider that after foraging with the king and Carluccio, "We came back and sautéed and froze enough wild mushrooms to last months for the royal table." He also notes in a YouTube video that mushrooms can also be dehydrated and be kept for up to a year, making them extremely convenient.