Queen Camilla's son has revealed a Royal Family dish that's both delicious and features one especially healthy ingredient. Tom Parker Bowles shared the little-known recipe in his 2024 book 'Cooking & The Crown', which details more than 100 meals eaten from Queen Victoria's reign to King Charles III.
While the breakfast may sound unusual, Tom insisted that it's long been a 'classic' among Royals, including Edward VII, the great-grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II. Writing in his new book, he named the staple 'Herrings Fried in Oatmeal', before adding: "A classic breakfast dish and one much enjoyed, like most dishes, by Edward VII.
"Herrings are cheap, sustainable, filled with lots of lovely omega-3 fatty acids and taste divine. What's not to love?" Omega-3 fatty acids, often dubbed as 'healthy fats', are not only found in herring but other fish, seafood, nuts and seeds too.
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Dave Benett/Getty Images)They are frequently praised by scientists and medical professionals for their heart healthy benefits and potential to slash the risk of cardiovascular disease. In the UK, heart and circulatory diseases give rise to more than 170,000 deaths every year, according to the British Heart Foundation.
Experts at the US-based University of Rochester Medical Centre explain: "Omega-3s are a helpful and important form of fat. Your body needs it but can't make it. Your body needs 2 forms of omega fatty acids.
"These are omega-3 and omega-6. Omega-3 is the most important. Experts believe that omega-3s help prevent coronary heart disease (CHD) in healthy people. They also believe omega-3s can slow progress of the disease in those who already have it."
Beyond this, omega-3 acids are also critical for brain health and cognition. In 2012, researchers found that older individuals with lower blood levels of DHA - one type of omega-3 acid - showed signs of faster ageing and even had smaller brains.
Toral Shah, a nutritional scientist and adviser to fish oil brand Wiley’s Finest, also previously told the Mirror: "The importance of omega-3 DHA for brain health and cognition are ever-evident. Just like a high-performance car, your brain needs premium fuel to function at its best."
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Getty Images)If you're keen to delve into Tom's breakfast recipe, you'll need to get hold of seven key ingredients. For two servings, this includes the following:
- Four prepared herrings
- Butter
- Oatmeal
- One lemon (just for the juice)
- Tabasco, salt and pepper for seasoning
His guide primarily involves dunking the herrings in butter and seasoning followed by a coating in oatmeal. These should then be fried for around four to six minutes, before serving with lemon juice and Tabasco for an extra kick.
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