The British Classic King Charles Counts As One Of His Favorite Meals

The royal family is known for hosting lavish dinners around the holidays, but they aren't shy about revealing some of their favorite foods — and the modesty might come as a surprise. Prince William and Kate Middleton once revealed that they always enjoy Indian takeout, specifically curry. King Charles, who officially took the throne after his coronation ceremony in 2023, revealed one of his favorite meals to be something a little more unusual to those outside the United Kingdom: Pheasant crumble pie. 

While we might indulge in chicken pot pie in the United States, pheasant is not quite as popular here as it is in the UK — the royals even host an annual shooting event each year on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas), where they go out with family and friends to shoot pheasants. The dish is easy to make, and Charles revealed that he first had it when he received the recipe from a friend. But when he makes it himself, he sometimes subs pheasant for a different type of meat. But first, what exactly is in a traditional pheasant crumble pie? 

This dish the King loves contains four parts: Pheasant, stock, roux, and crumbled topping. Each part has its own set of steps, but in its simplest terms, the recipe comes together by cooking a whole pheasant in stock, then shredding the meat, adding it back to the stock, and creating a roux (which creates a thicker sauce). It's served in a dish topped with breadcrumbs and bacon crumble. The pie is finished in the oven to heat it thoroughly; it's not a pie in the sense that it doesn't have a true pie crust, but it can be baked in a pie dish or any other oven-safe baking dish.

King Charles guest-edited an issue of the British magazine Country Life back in 2018, where he noted that he "invented a grouse" version of the dish as well. A grouse is a bird similar to a pheasant that can also be found widely around the UK and North America.

It's no secret that the King can afford a private chef. The royal family is worth an estimated $28 billion, meaning Charles never has to lift a finger in the kitchen if he doesn't want to. But surprisingly, the king enjoys getting his creative juices flowing in the kitchen himself. Outside of making his own pheasant crumble pie, the King also coined his own term "Groussaka" to describe his version of a popular Greek dish. Traditional Moussaka is essentially a meat pie made with the addition of eggplant or potatoes, but Charles substitutes grouse in place of lamb — dubbing it "Groussaka." Charles also revealed to Country Life that he substitutes grouse for chicken in his homemade coq au vin, as well.

Back in 2020, Charles made headlines when he shared his favorite breakfast recipe on Instagram: Cheesy baked eggs, which contain veggies like spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. The king makes the dish with two types of cheese, plus cream, for an extra decadent recipe that comes together in no time. So next time you want to dine like the royals, just remember that King Charles has a sophisticated, and pheasant-forward, palate.