Rebellious Scots attacked the Tower of London by firing porridge at the garrison. The very soup reputed to have built the British Empire and one that was oh-so-fashionable in Victorian and Edwardian times! It’s true that the cheaper hotels and boarding houses tended to serve a brown coloured soup. Fry for a minute longer until the butter and flour mix is a golden brown colour. No one is quite sure where the recipe originates, but it is said to be have been one of Queen Victoria’s favourite soups, and was often served at palace banquets. However, an unidentified writer in The Independent defended the dodgy reputation in 2004 by writing “It’s a nourishing, thick and beefy affair boosted with a drop of sherry.”, Sam Nutt of the BBC was less enthusiastic after making a batch: “… it seemed like a lot of effort for something that tasted rather plain and a bit fatty – and that looked very brown!”. Napoleon, Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, even Lewis and Clarke were said to be ardent fans. Derived from the Victorian and Edwardian eras, this soup was served at Windsor Castle (hence the name brown Windsor soup) and was enjoyed by Queen Victoria in the 1800’s. It became shorthand for awful food; comics only had to mention it to get a laugh. Thanks! If the dish was named after the royal family in Victorian times, and it probably wasn’t, it would have to be called Brown Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Soup, because the family name did not become Windsor until 1917, when the original German one was deemed unpatriotic in light of the Great War. This article was first published in the May 2015 issue of BBC History Magazine. This soup was served daily, until recently, in the dining cars of British Rail. There are 19th century references to a Windsor Soup that was made with a combination of meats. Find your bookmarks in your Independent … Queen Victoria was particularly fond of it, and it … The hot steam from chicken soup is believed to help clear sinuses, while the soup itself keeps you hydrated. Serve piping hot. Add the sliced vegetables and stir in the stock. A few herbs and spices are added and a tablespoon of Madeira wine is plopped in at the table. Brown Windsor Soup, a classic British Institution. And that by Englishmen. Serve Jamie's brown Windsor soup in mugs with chunks of bread to mop up every delicious drop of this hearty, filling soup. “A classic, hearty British soup … Ingredients include: Scottish mineral water, swan parts, gin, carrots, and a manservant who dared to make eye contact with Prince Philip.”, Responding to an online article about BWS, a writer reminisced “I remember school lunch (Coleshill, Warwickshire, U.K., circa 1948/9) Brown Windsor Soup, thin and almost tasteless, I hated it, but had to sup it. It was also a favorite served on the British Rail in their diner cars. Rupert Taylor (author) from Waterloo, Ontario, Canada on February 02, 2018: Kari Poulsen from Ohio on February 02, 2018: I had never heard of this soup. There was also a rice-based White Windsor Soup. Often served with Sherry or Madeira added. Home Today Book Hotels Search Today Book Hotels Search (More fully "brown Windsor soup") thick brown meat soup of a type, now often depicted (sometimes depreciatively) as emblematic of traditional British cookery. The History of Brown Windsor Soup. Brown Windsor soup is a British meat soup that is said by conventional wisdom to have been popular during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Meals were heavily loaded with stodgy ingredients aimed at keeping out the cold more than appealing to the palate. There was also a rice-based White Windsor Soup. It definitely has some history as a joke soup, even appearing on the menu at Fawlty Towers. You will shortly receive a receipt for your purchase via email. BWS found its way into Carry On movies and, later, an episode of Fawlty Towers. In his 2017 book, The Lost Foods of England Glyn Hughes writes that “An extensive investigation carried out by the National Railway Museum … in 2013 found not one single reference to BWS in hundreds of archived menus …”. Origin 1920s; earliest use found in Portsmouth Evening News. Brown Windsor soup is a supposed hearty British meat soup that is said by conventional wisdom to have been popular during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. A delicious beef soup recipe! “The Greedy Queen: Eating With Victoria Review – Nothing Dainty About These Dishes” Lucy Lethbridge, “The Curious Tale of Brown Windsor Soup.”. And then turkey and everything and Christmas pudding and things and crackers and balloons and all that. This was normally a frugal amalgamation of the previous day’s leftovers, but it was never referred to as Brown Windsor. Like a brown Windsor soup or at least a fairly brown Windsor soup. Woolton pie and brown Windsor soup featured largely on the menu of the British Restaurants set up under the aegis of the Ministry of Food to provide inexpensive and healthy meals. A hearty traditional British meat soup of disputed origin. Writers have found references to the soup going back to Queen Victoria’s court, and even before, where she reportedly served it at state dinners. Here’s a short table on different types of soup and their Origin I've spent half a century (yikes) writing for radio and print—mostly print. I have heard that English cooking is bad, lol. Roll bite-sized pieces of lamb/mutton and beef in plain flour so they're well dusted, and brown in butter over a medium … There seems to be a problem, please try again. Serves 4-6. Into the blender with it and you've got BWS. A large knob of butter Olive oil 500g chuck steak, diced 1 tbsp Marmite or Vegemite A splash of Worcestershire sauce 1 red onion, chopped 2 carrots, chopped 3 celery stalks, trimmed, chopped 1 bay leaf A sprig of fresh rosemary 1 tbsp plain flour 2 litres (8 cups) beef stock ¾ cup (150g) pearl barley. Whatever its origins, references to brown Windsor soup are common after the Second World War, often in horrified descriptions of the then dreadful state of British cooking in pretentious restaurants and on trains and ferries. brown Windsor soup. Woolton Pie commemorates Lord Woolton, Minister of Food in 1940. Variety of meat including lamb, mutton and beef; Plain flour; Butter; Vegetables including onion, potato and other root vegetables; Procedure . A hearty traditional British meat soup of disputed origin. Learn how to cook great Brown windsor soup . Sam’s historical recipe corner: Brown Windsor soup. Brown Windsor Soup With Pearl Barley. “The Lost Foods of England.” Glyn Hughes, Denver House, 2017. What could more exemplify that culinary tradition than a dish called Brown Windsor Soup? Victorian and Edwardian cooking exploits in England did not outlive the two monarchs for which the eras are named, and for good reasons. Brown Windsor Soup is a hearty soup, made with beef and lamb, or other braised beef cuts. A shortcut has been suggested by a bit of a wag. But as we’ve seen, in some quarters brown Windsor soup is now held … Pick up pretty much any recent book on English food and you'll be told that Brown Windsor was The Victorian favourite, possibly the dominant English soup until WW2. (More fully "brown Windsor soup") thick brown meat soup of a type, now often depicted (sometimes depreciatively) as emblematic of traditional British cookery. In every issue of BBC History Magazine, picture editor Sam Nott brings you a recipe from the past. And, is it a creation of Victorian kitchens? The character Neddy Seagoon (played by Harry Secombe) says “Very well then. But despite this (or maybe because of it) and because I am a big fan of robust, meaty soups and stews, I was intrigued to see what Brown Windsor soup would taste like. Brown windsor soup recipe. You'll be told that it was always served at Windsor Castle, that it was the … Method. Serves 4. The origins of Brown Windsor soup are unclear. One suggestion is that during World War II, when food shortages encouraged some strange creations to appear on the dinner table, the soup and the soap were conflated. I have to admit, sadly, I was a bit underwhelmed by the result. We’re just using beef in our version. It’s not to be found in Victorian cookbooks, newspaper stories, or hotel menus. That doesn’t sound so terrible that it is held up as the exemplar of the awfulness of British cooking. Queen Victoria was particularly fond of it and Brown Windsor Soup regularly appeared on state banquet menus. The soap's basic formula is mostly the same, regardless of retailer. The origins of Brown Windsor soup are unclear. Brown Windsor soup. Queen Victoria was particularly fond of it and Brown Windsor Soup regularly appeared on state banquet menus. In the 1950s, the great Irish comedy writer Spike Milligan created a radio program called The Goon Show for the BBC. ; 1972, Clement Freud, Grimble at Christmas "Well," said Grimble, "I expect rather a lot [from Christmas]. Melt … And then turkey and everything and Christmas pudding and things and … It also proves impossible to track down the origin of the dish itself. But, perhaps today’s recipes are interpretations of past horrors that have been improved for a new generation of foodies. One such was when a character declares “I successfully changed all the Chinese back into Englishmen by giving them injections of Brown Windsor Soup.”, (Admittedly, it’s a style of humour that has seen better days but there is a certain nostalgia among old writers for when comedy did not involve an endless stream of profanities.). 1/4 pound stewing steak . Except for that soup, being a substance susceptible to slopping over the sides of a bowl by the slightest lateral movement, is almost never served on trains. Then add a dollop of sherry. Many recipes do indeed suggest that it was a thickish brownish unappetising mess. brown Windsor soup (English)Noun brown Windsor soup (uncountable). Ingredients. There are 19th century references to a Windsor Soup that was made with a combination of meats. 0 comments. You can unsubscribe at any time. Its fragrance is spicy across the board, with some … Dare one simply call it stew. A mystery lies ahead. Apparently, diners could choose between a brown soup and a white soup to start. It appears in the Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook of 2012 vintage. You have successfully linked your account! Broth soups, on the other hand, are taken for upset tummies. Haven’t had since, nearly 70 years ago!”, I remember tasting Brown Windsor soup as a boy at a Windsor Café in the early fifties; it was absolutely delicious and never tasted any soup as good ever since that day. One imagines Mrs. Patmore and Daisy turning out cauldrons of the stuff for Grantham family banquets. Cut the lamb and beef into 1-inch cubes and roll in the flour. Good appetite! Stir in the Madeira wine (if using). The official website for BBC History Magazine, BBC History Revealed and BBC World Histories Magazine, Save 50% on a BBC History Magazine or BBC History Revealed subscription, Here, we take a step back in time and recreate some historical recipes for you to try at home. Saturday 06 November 2004 01:00. “Sam’s Historical Recipe Corner: Brown Windsor Soup.” Sam Nutt. It has been used during cold weather since the 13th century. Serves 4-6. For the curious, there are several recipes on the Internet. If you subscribe to BBC History Magazine Print or Digital Editions then you can unlock 10 years’ worth of archived history material fully searchable by Topic, Location, Period and Person. References are constantly made to the “fact” that Brown Windsor Soup was served daily in British Railway dining cars. “Brown Windsor Soup.” Michael Quinion, World Wide Words, undated. I hope to be still tapping the keys as I take my last breath. In October 1956, an episode was broadcast with the title The MacReekie Rising of ’74. Whatever its origins, references to brown Windsor soup are common after the Second World War, often in horrified descriptions of the then dreadful state of British cooking in pretentious restaurants and on trains and ferries. 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