King Charles III and Queen Camilla hosted Stanley Tucci for a star-studded dinner at their Highgrove House estate on Friday, February 7 — and the menu looked mouth-watering.
The king and queen dined with Tucci, David and Victoria Beckham, Helen Mirren and Maria Grazia Lambertini, the Italian Ambassador to the U.K., ahead of the couple’s state visit to Italy in April.
The menu for the evening was created by chef Francesco Mazzei and inspired by Tucci, a renowned foodie, according to a Buckingham Palace press release issued to Us Weekly.
Here’s a look at the entire menu:
Reception
- Rare and Pasture “Salumi”
- Tuscan-Style Paté and Coppa
- Yorkshire Pecorino Cheese Puffs
- British Vegetable Caponata Tartelletta
Dinner
- Scottish Crab Panzanella
- Westcombe Ricotta
- Highgrove Fine Herbs Ravioli
- Isle of Wight Tomato Passata
- Suffolk Red Porchetta
- Pumpkin and Sage Mash
- Tuscan Kale
Dessert
- Zuppa Inglese
- Biscotti
“Created using entirely British ingredients blended with Italian culinary traditions and local flavours, the menu aims to fully embody the principles of Slow Food,” reads the press release, referencing the slow food movement, which was created to promote fair and sustainable practices.
The monarch said that meals are how people join forces. “Good food brings people together and what we choose to eat helps to define us — as families, communities and nations,” Charles said in a speech during the dinner.
“It brings us sustenance, but also comfort. It binds generations, as recipes are passed down from one to another. It is a thing of beauty — ‘edible art,’ as you have put it, Stanley! And I know that it provides — as it doubtless will this evening — a topic of endless fascination and discussion around every Italian family dinner table,” he added.
