Ingredients:

Sylish dresses, starched collars, and some very dry wit

Preparation:

Forgo casual paperless invitations in favor of formal handwritten ones sent through the mail (or, "post"). Polish the silver and stemware, get out the good china, and brush up on social etiquette

Yield:

A dinner party that offers some leeway to break with decorum but that won't cause a scandal

The Menu:

British period drama Downton Abbey first aired in the United States in 2011 and it continues to sweep viewers away to the rarefied world of early twentieth-century manors (and manners). When we first meet Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, and his family, life as they know it has been turned upside down with the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. With the Earl's immediate male heir presumed dead and the future of Robert's family uncertain, it is the urgent search for the next of kin that kicks off the award-winning series. Fans soon learn that sweeping winds of change (political unrest, women's rights, social mobility) infiltrate even the idyllic Downton Abbey, and that even the most privileged of classes cannot escape—or resist—them. And yet, amid all the world events swirling about, life at Downton Abbey—with its compelling love stories and intriguing subplots—continues.

Our menu pays tribute to not only the tastes of the patrician class but those of the middle and working classes. After all, it is Matthew Crawley, a lawyer by trade and a doctor's son, who's set to inherit Downton Abbey. His middle-class background is decidedly at odds with the more affluent relations, including that of his wife, Lady Mary, but it's because of him that the family estate is modernized and secure for the next generation. It's also impossible to ignore the fact that the house servants, led by the inimitable Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes, outnumber the Crawleys in their own home.

Luxury—oysters, figs, and Champagne, anyone?—is the hallmark of the food served upstairs, especially with the multicourse formal dinners served in the evening. Rich game meats, such as gamebirds and venison, would be expected at the table, and the upper-class penchant for Madeira is equally reflected here. Because the aristocracy considered French cuisine and technique to be superior, we've included Floating Islands, a meringue-based dessert that serves as redemption for Mrs. Patmore's salty mishap. Simple and inexpensive best describe the remaining dishes on the menu, ones that would be commonplace in the servants' hall. A dish like Yorkshire pudding would make good use of reserved animal fat (suet) leftover from cooking opulent dishes, thus, extending a little bit of luxe onto a downstairs dinner plate. Ham hock, peas, potatoes, ground or minced beef—these ingredients, featured in the soup and shepherd's pie on our menu, are quite affordable still. And their familiar comforting qualities lend them long staying power in kitchens everywhere. As for the commoner's dessert, the modest Eccles Cake makes the most of its aromatic spices and dried currants and yields a humble yet tender and sweet treat.

In the last days of the Edwardian era, pre-dinner drinks were a relatively new custom that came via London. A refreshing Pimm's Cup will whet the appetite. The Crawleys' affinity for claret during dinner was not uncommon for the times, so serve a red Bordeaux with the meal. To add an air of class, make like Mr. Carson and decant your wine before serving. For something a bit more down to earth, serve some Black and Tans in homage to John Bates. Or raise a toast to tragic lovebirds Tom Branson and Lady Sybil with a champagne-and-stout Black Velvet, the perfect embodiment of two worlds colliding.

Party Tips:

The Crawleys don't get a Victrola until 1919. If you have a record player, dust it off and play some popular tunes from Tin Pan Alley or the West End. Or more specifically, find recordings of "Look for the Silver Lining" by Jerome Kern and "If You Were the Only Girl (In the World)" by Nat D. Ayer; both songs have been featured on the show. At the start of the series, electricity was still a relatively new and unreliable technological development. It was also suspect, as Robert Crawley's mother, the Dowager Countess, exclaims: "I couldn't have electricity in the house. I wouldn't sleep a wink." The manor may have been wired by the early 1920s, but to please the Dowager, we advise that you respect tradition: Turn off the lights and set the mood with candles.

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