{"id":14042,"date":"2017-07-17T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-07-16T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.invinic.com\/what-to-serve-with-pate-when-the-queen-visits"},"modified":"2018-02-23T09:43:28","modified_gmt":"2018-02-23T08:43:28","slug":"what-to-serve-with-pate-when-the-queen-visits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.invinic.com\/en\/what-to-serve-with-pate-when-the-queen-visits","title":{"rendered":"What to Serve with Pat\u00e9 When the Queen Visits"},"content":{"rendered":"
We\u2019ve all been there. You\u2019ve just pulled the pat\u00e9 out of the fridge when there\u2019s a knock on the front door, and who is it but Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II. Apparently her carriage has broken down outside. Now you\u2019re going to have to figure out what to serve with pat\u00e9<\/strong> whilst obeying the utmost standards of etiquette. Luckily, you boned up on fine dining before she dropped by, so this will be a sinch…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cRight this way your Highness,\u201d you say incorrectly, as the Queen is not a princess, \u201cI mean, right this way My Lady,\u201d getting it wrong again because the Queen is not a Countess, before adding, \u201cI mean, right this way Your Majesty.\u201d<\/p>\n Running ahead of her, you can arrange the kitchen in the proper manner. At the table, the cutlery on the outside must be the utensils that you expect to use first. The next cutlery in will need to be for the following course, and so on. Put her glass above the cutlery on the right, and a plate for bread above the cutlery on the left. As the Queen is advanced in years and progresses slowly down the hallway, there\u2019s just time to throw on some more formal wear. When she opens the door, you stand resplendent in a top hat, white tie and waistcoat, neatly laundered trousers, and coat with tails.<\/p>\n Was that a look of disdain on The Queen\u2019s face? Of course! White tie is far too formal for casual dining, and is only for diplomatic events or weddings. You decide to distract her with the pat\u00e9.<\/p>\n \u201cPat\u00e9, m\u2019am?\u201d You say so that \u2018m\u2019am\u2019 rhymes with \u2018farm\u2019, as you realise too late that it should rhyme with \u2018jam\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cThat depends,\u201d she says, \u201cWhat wine are you going to serve it with? And please, call me Betty.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This pairing had better be good. Get it right, and there could be a knighthood coming your way for Services Rendered to Inconvenienced Queens. Get it wrong, and she might set the corgis on you.<\/p>\n Duck is a fairly fatty meat as it is. The liver of a fattened duck in particular is going to need an acidic wine<\/strong> to cut through the fat droplets, and a great match<\/strong> would be a Sauternes like Ch\u00e2teau Suduiraut<\/a>. Both the pat\u00e9 and the wine are of similar weight<\/strong> in the mouth too. What\u2019s more, there\u2019s a pleasing contrast<\/strong> of the sweetness<\/strong> from the wine with the savouriness<\/strong> from the duck.<\/p>\n Buy now<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes. Didn\u2019t Wine Spectator give the 2005 Ch\u00e2teau Suduiraut 93 points?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGosh, you certainly know your wines Betty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, one has to when one\u2019s the Queen. And don\u2019t be so patronising. But suppose one wanted to mix things up a little and try something new. What would one drink then?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Queen\u2019s really testing you now. Luckily, you buy several wines at a time, and have a bottle of Torell\u00f3 Vittios<\/a> on hand. It\u2019s an unorthodox choice<\/strong>, but it\u2019s like a Spanish Sauternes<\/strong>. There\u2019s a good amount of acidit<\/strong>y on the palette. In addition, it has a weighty mouthfeel<\/strong> to match the duck, and it has that sweet<\/strong> profile to contrast<\/strong> with the savoury<\/strong> meat. The flavours – peach, apricot and honey<\/strong> – are all nice accompaniments<\/strong> to duck, which is often served with a sweet plum sauce.<\/p>\n Buy now<\/a>.<\/p>\n As the mechanic rights the carriage and the Queen rises to leave, she utters, \u201cTorell\u00f3 Vittios<\/a> and foie gras is such a lovely combination. If only they didn\u2019t make pat\u00e9 in such a barbaric fashion.\u201d<\/p>\nMaking a Good First Impression<\/strong><\/h2>\n
What to Serve with Pat\u00e9<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nLeaving with a Good Taste in the Mouth<\/strong><\/h2>\n