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THE MENU

Eight courses were the standard for a holiday meal at aristocratic households of the era. But it is better

to focus on three or four courses and perhaps a small savory with the before-dinner drink than to

commit to preparing a feast that would require the help of Daisy and footmen. No food would be on

the table, apart from a bowl of fruit or nuts. That means no showing off of that perfectly roasted goose

or turkey and then carving it at the table for all to see, as is often done today. Instead, footmen would

present you with the choice of foods for your selection. As you likely won’t have your own Thomas,

it is a good idea to have a side table where the dishes are displayed. You can then plate the food there

and place it in front of each guest. That way everyone gets to see the all-important roast meat.

The courses might be a soup; a fish starter; a showstopper roast or, if the party is small, one of the

more modest meat dishes; a choice of two or three vegetable dishes; and then a selection of desserts,

with one of them Christmas pudding. Finally, offer a choice of two or three savories, small dishes much

like the amuse-bouches served today at the beginning of a meal. These savories were also what the

Crawley family would traditionally have for their Christmas Day lunch, serving themselves while the

staff was having its Christmas dinner downstairs. This custom of the upstairs family making do without

staff was highly unusual for the period, but it was a tradition at Downton—one that surprised Mary’s

suitor in season 2, as is evident in the following exchange: “But why can’t they have their lunch early

and then serve us, like they normally do?” asks Carlisle. “Because it’s Christmas Day,” responds Mary.

SETTING THE TABLE

A crisp, white tablecloth and starched white napkins (or perhaps colored ones) are obligatory. The

napkins, which often concealed a bread roll on the aristocratic table, are placed on bread plates that

sit to the upper left of the dinner plate. You’ll need a set of cutlery for each course and four glasses—

footed glass for water, white wine, red wine, and dessert wine—which are arranged to the upper right

of the dinner plate. The final element is a handwritten menu in a menu-card holder positioned above

the dinner plate and next to the glasses.

To create handwritten menus for your holiday dinner, purchase some textured white paper at an art-

supply store (buy a little extra in case you make an error while writing) and cut the paper to a size that

will accommodate the listing of all the dishes without crowding. If you own a calligraphy pen, use it, but

you can buy brush pens these days that work well, too. Use a soapstone pencil to draw lines—you will

need as many lines as you have dishes, plus one for the word menu at the top—on each menu card,

then write the dishes on the cards. Let the ink dry completely before carefully erasing the pencil lines.