Loosen Your Corsets: The Titanic's Final 11 Course Meal

The Titanic was known for a lot of things, the Leonardo DiCaprio movie, over the top luxury for first class passengers, less luxurious accommodations for the mere mortals, and of course, sinking.

The Titanic was boasted as “unsinkable” and the top in luxury travel for the Edwardian period. From crystal chandeliers, to smoking rooms, lavish state rooms, a swimming pool, and a gymnasium, the Titanic spared no expense for it’s first class passengers. And no exception was the opulent dining experience which could last for hours. No for real, like dinner for the first class could last for up to five hours.

Characterized by French and Russian influence, the Edwardian Era saw adaptation of traditionally French and Russian dishes in order to establish class and show both elegance as well as refinement. The new money Americans embraced anything exotic and upscale and Brits were inclined to do the same.

Today we are going to look at the last dinner served aboard the Titanic to first class passengers prior to sinking. This is the dinner that was served to first class passengers beginning around 7–7:30pm the night the Titanic hit the iceberg.

Pre-Dinner Cocktails

Not included in the dinner menu was a cocktail hour which was added at the insistence of American guests who loved the idea of a drink before dinner, I would say I’m shocked, but not for real.

Historians believe that the most popular drinks that were served on the Titanic were

Manhattan

Bourbon

Sweet Vermouth

Bitters (which originated in Louisiana btw)

Maraschino Cherry

Tom Collins

Gin

Lemon Juice

Simple Syrup

Club Soda

Lemon Twist

John Collins

Bourbon

Lemon Juice

Simple Syrup

Club Soda

Maraschino cherry

Dinner Begins At 7pm

First Course: Hors D’oeuvres

Oysters/Canapes/Champagne

First up was oysters accompanied with a glass of champagne and a canape that featured shrimp butter on toast topped with shrimp and caviar which is salt cured sturgeon eggs. Caviar was considered an aphrodisiac and none was better than Russian caviar.

Oysters were also considered an aphrodisiac and an excellent way to kick off a meal. Oysters were one of the most popular foods of the Edwardian era and considered a food for the rich.

Oysters on the Titanic were believed to be served a la Russe (or Russian style) which would have been raw, topped with dice tomatoes, lemon juice, vodka, and horseradish.

This first course sounds pretty badass.

Second Course: Soup

Consomme Olga/Cream of Barley

Diners aboard the Titanic had the choice of soups for this course.

Consomme Olga, a Russian dish, which was made with veal and vegetable stock with egg whites and port wine, sea scallops, celeric, and cucumber.

Cream of Barley was made with chicken stock, carrots, onions, and celery. Egg yolks and pearl barley were added to the dish as well as nutmeg and parsely. Cream of Barley soup was garnished with fresh baked croutons.

I would pick the Consomme Olga if it was me.

Third Course: Fish

Poached Salmon with Mousseline Sauce, Cucumbers

This dish was a signature dish for many hospitality brands of the time. The salmon was poached with white wine and aromatic herbs and was served with fresh dill and cucumber.

The mousseline sauce was made of egg yolk, buttermilk, lemon, and cream.

I kinda want to try to make that myself.

Fourth Course: Meat

Filet Mignons Lili/Saute of Chicken Lyonnaise/Vegetable Marrow Farci

Filet Mignon Lili: steak was sauteed in butter, served with foies gras, artichoke hearts, and black truffles. Then the steak was topped in a sauce made with butter, tomato, rosemary, and cognac.

Filet Mignon Lili was then served on a bed of potatoes that were covered in more butter and sliced super thin.

Saute of Chicken Lyonnaise was sauteed chicken breast with caramelized onions and a tomato-white wine sauce.

Vegetable Marrow Farci was the vegetarian option which was popular especially among women of the time. This was a zucchini grown in a greenhouse that was stuffed with rice, mushrooms, basil, and parmesan cheese. (That sounds kind of amazing).

Fifth Course: Main Course

Lamb, Mint Sauce/Roast Duckling, Apple Sauce/Sirloin of Beef, Chateau Potatoes/Green Pea/Creamed Carrots/Boiled Rice/Parmentier & Boiled New Potatoes

Holy fuck this is a big course.

This is the main event of the entire meal.

Lamb with Mint Sauce was served due to the time of sailing which was right after Easter that year. Lamb was a traditional British dish to serve for Easter so it seemed only right to serve this aboard the Titanic.

This was a roasted leg of lamb with a sauce made with fresh mint, white wine, vinegar, and shallots.

Another option for this course was glazed roast duckling served with apple sauce.

The last option was beef sirloin that was served with chateau potatoes that were made into shapes that looked like jewels which were then topped with butter and rosemary.

Side dishes for this course were peas, carrots, rice and potatoes. But these were not out of the can style. Even the veggies were extra AF.

The peas were mashed with mint, eggs, and cream.

Carrots were julienned and seasoned with nutmeg, cinnamon, whipping cream, butter, and chives.

Potatoes which were previously seen as pig feed had come into fashion. The potatoes for this course were diced and then fried in butter.

Authors side note: I would def pick the lamb on this one. And I am glad the potato finally got the global recognition it so rightfully deserves as one of my all time favorite foods. We can thank a Frenchman for that, among so many other cultural upgrades.

Sixth Course: Palate Cleanser

Punch Romaine

This was to break up the meal and they say to cleanse the palate but after reviewing the first five courses, I think it was more like a media timeout in football.

Punch romaine was made with shaved ice, white rum, champagne, orange juice, lemon juice, simple syrup, and served with a twist.

So basically this is the alcoholic icee course and I am here for it. I think I am going to add this course at my house.

Seventh Course: Second Main

Roast Squab & Cress

Squab is affordable and a popular French cuisine item. On the Titanic, squab was wrapped in bacon and roasted with marjoram and garlic, topped with a sauce made with madeira wine. The roast squab was then carved tableside with cress salad which was a novelty at the time.

Eighth Course: Vegetables

Cold Asparagus Vinaigrette

This was cooked asparagus served cold which keep in mind was a luxury at the time considering most people did not have regular access to refrigeration as we do today.

The asparagus was served with a vinaigrette made with saffron and champagne. Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world both then and now.

Ninth Course: Meat

Pate de Fois Gras/Celery

Fois gras is the fattened liver of a duck or goose and first originated with wealthy Egyptians and Romans.

Fois gras was a go to luxury item during the days of the Titanic and was served on toast at room temperature with celery.

I’m skipping this one. Bring me more rum icee please.

Tenth Course: Dessert

Waldorf Pudding/Peaches in Chartreuse Jelly/Chocolate & Vanilla Eclairs/French Ice Cream

Waldorf pudding which got it’s name from the Waldorf hotel in New York City was a baked custard made with raisins, walnuts, and ginger.

Peaches and chartreuse jelly was a big deal because gelatins were molded into extravagant shapes and requiring refrigeration, could go really well or really poorly. The chartreuse jelly was made with French liquer made by monks.

Eclairs which were filled with vanilla cream and topped with chocolate icing were another dessert option for Titanic diners.

But the piece de resistance, was the ice cream. Ice cream was big fucking deal at the time and probably deserves it’s own article. Ice cream was served as a delicacy by royals and even the First Lady at the time to visitors at the White House.

Fun Fact: Ice cream is STILL super popular at the White House, it’s reported that President Biden is a super fan of the stuff and even had a flavor named after him.

Eleventh Course: Cheese

Cheese

French tradition concluded a coursed dinner by serving assorted cheeses, fruits, and jams, along with cocktails. This course was usually served around 11:30pm a good 4.5 hours after the dinner began.

Final Thoughts:

11:40pm: The Titanic struck the iceberg and the rest is history. While diners were still smoking their cigars and enjoying their drinks, they did not expect the night to go so poorly.

Most of the kitchen staff including the head chef, died when the Titanic sank while over 60% of the first class passengers survived. It was reported that one kitchen staff member did make it out alive because he had the foresight to through chairs into the water.

Further Reading/Sources:

https://www.rayannehouse.com/titanic-... https://downtonabbeycooks.com/ https://www.thespruceeats.com/food-an... https://foodworthwritingfor.com/2018/... https://en.wikipedia.org

www.youtube.com/historyteatime