Recipes for Meals Served on the Titanic (2024)

Community Corner

Re-create some of the famous dishes in which first class passengers indulged before the ship went down.

Posted Tue, Apr 3, 2012 at 5:28 pm CT|Updated Tue, Apr 3, 2012 at 5:30 pm CT

The following vintage recipes were featured on the Titanic’s last menu and are updated for home cooks who wish to prepare their own commemorative dinners.

Canapés A L’Amiral
(Courtesy of Fox Executive Chef Stephen Proctor)

• 1/2 thin baguette loaf
• 1 teaspoon limejuice
• 10 small shrimp, halved lengthwise, cooked
• Fresh flat leaf parsley, or chervil
• 2 tablespoons flying fish roe, or your favorite caviar

Shrimp Butter

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 8 ounces shrimp in the shell
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 4-ounce cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
• Dash vanilla

For the butter: in a sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat, add the shallot and garlic, cook, stirring often for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the shrimp, continue cooking for an additional 3-4 minutes or until the shells are pink and flesh is opaque. Remove shrimp mixture to bowl of food processor. Return pan to stove and add the brandy and reduce down to a glaze, Add to the shrimp Puree the shrimp mixture until finely chopped, add the cream cheese, butter, tomato paste, salt, pepper and vanilla. Process until almost smooth, press the mixture through a sieve set over a bowl, discarding the shells

Slice the baguette into 20 thin slices, place on baking sheet and toast under the broiler for about 1 minutes until lightly browned.

Drizzle the lime juice over cooked shrimp halves and reserve.

Place shrimp butter in a piping bag fitted with a star tube. Pipe the butter onto toasts. Top each with a shrimp half and a parsley leaf. Top each with the caviar or roe and serve. Makes 20 canapés

Chicken Fricassee
(Courtesy of Greg Ziegenfuss, Executive Chef at Butler’s Pantry)

• 8 skinless chicken thighs
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups assorted fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
• 1 3/4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon parsley, minced

Combine flour, salt, pepper and thyme. Dredge chicken with flour mixture. Reserve unused flour. Melt butter in a heavy skillet; add chicken and brown on both sides. Remove chicken; add the onions, mushrooms and celery, sauté until just tender yet still crisp. Add garlic and sauté for a minute. Add reserved flour to mixture and slowly whisk in the chicken stock; cooking until thickened. Add cream, bring to a boil, add chicken, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and allow to simmer for 25 minutes or until chicken is tender and juices run clear (internal temperature should be 165 degrees). Transfer to a platter, garnish with chopped parsley. Served with rice pilaf or buttered pasta. Makes 4-6 servings

Haddock Veronique
(Courtesy of Greg Ziegenfuss, Executive Chef at Butler’s Pantry)

• 4 (6-8 ounce) haddock filets
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup dry white wine
• juice and zest on 1 lemon
• 1 cup clam juice or seafood stock
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped tarragon
• 1/2 cup each red and green grapes, halved

Lightly season filets with salt and pepper. Place filets in a single layer on a shallow sauté pan. Combine the wine lemon juice, lemon zest and clam juice; then pour over the fish. Place over a medium high heat and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and simmer until fish is almost cooked, about 4 minutes.

Remove fish and place in a baking dish to keep warm. Bring the poaching liquid to a boil; reduce by half, strain through a fine mesh strainer. In a small saucepan melt butter; add shallots and garlic, sauté for about a minute. Whisk in flour to form a blonde roux; cook for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in reduced poaching liquid and bring to a boil. Stir in heavy cream, cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from heat, stir in tarragon, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over filets, top with grapes and place in the broiler for about a minute or until sauce begins to lightly brown. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Roman Punch was part of the eleven course meal served on the Titanic. It was also a popular Victorian recipe and appears in the 19th century handwritten recipe collection of Virginia Campbell, housed at the Campbell House Museum.

Roman Punch
(Courtesy of The Campbell House Museum and Suzanne Corbett, Food Historian)

• 1 cup cold water
• 1 cup white sugar
• 4 large lemons
• 1 large orange
• 3 egg whites
• 6 ozs. champagne or sparkling wine

Place water in a heavy saucepan over a low heat; sprinkle in sugar and swirl until it dissolves. Bring to a boil for five minutes. Grate zest of lemons and oranges and add to sugar water mixture. Squeeze juice form lemons and orange, and add to sugar mixture. Let stand until cool. Beategg whites with a whisk until foamy, but not to the soft peak stage. Add to sugar / juice mixture. Strain into a non-aluminum container, add champagne and freeze. When mixture begins to freeze, stir occasionally until completely frozen. Cover. Serve scooped into small glass bowls or saucer champagne glasses. Serves 4. Will kept in the freezer for several days.