The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating - Softcover

Henderson, Fergus

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0060585366 ISBN 13: 9780060585365

Publisher: Ecco Press, 2004

Synopsis

The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating is a certified "foodie" classic. In it, Fergus Henderson -- whose London restaurant, St. John, is a world-renowned destination for people who love to eat "on the wild side" -- presents the recipes that have marked him out as one of the most innovative, yet traditional, chefs. Here are recipes that hark back to a strong rural tradition of delicious thrift, and that literally represent Henderson's motto, "Nose to Tail Eating" -- be they Pig's Trotter Stuffed with Potato, Rabbit Wrapped in Fennel and Bacon, or his signature dish of Roast Bone Marrow and Parsley Salad. For those of a less carnivorous bent, there are also splendid dishes such as Deviled Crab; Smoked Haddock, Mustard, and Saffron; Green Beans, Shallots, Garlic, and Anchovies; and to keep the sweetest tooth happy, there are gloriously satisfying puddings, notably the St. John Eccles Cakes, and a very nearly perfect Chocolate Ice Cream.

About this title

Product Description:

Pub Date: 2004-03-30 Pages: 224 Language: English Publisher: HarperCollins US The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating is a certified foodie classic In it. Fergus Henderson - whose London restaurant. St. John. is a world. -renowned destination for people who love to eat on the wild side - presents the recipes that have marked him out as one of the most innovative. yet traditional. chefs Here are recipes that hark back to a strong rural tradition of delicious thrift.. and that literally represent Hendersons motto. Nose to Tail Eating -. be they Pigs Trotter Stuffed with Potato. Rabbit Wrapped in Fennel and Bacon. or his signature dish of Roast Bone Marrow and Parsley Salad For those of a less carnivorous bent. there are also splendid dishes such as Deviled Crab; Smoked Haddock. Mustard. and Saffron; Green Beans. Shallots. Garlic. and Anchovies; and to keep the sweetest tooth happ...

Review:

Fergus Henderson caused something of a sensation when he opened his restaurant St John in London in 1995. Set in a former smokehouse near Smithfield meat market, its striking, high-ceilinged white interior provides a dramatic setting for food of dazzling boldness and simplicity. As signalled by the restaurant's logo of a pig (reproduced on the cover of Nose to Tail Eating) and appropriately given the location, at St John the emphasis is firmly on meat. And not the noisettes, fillets, magrets and so forth of standard restaurant portion-control, all piled up into little towers in the middle of the plate: Henderson serves up the inner organs of beasts and fowls in big, exhilarating dishes that combine high sophistication with peasant roughness. Nose to Tail Eating is a collection of these recipes, celebrating, as the title implies, the thrifty rural British traditions of making delicious virtue out of using every part of the animal.

Henderson's wonderful signature dish, Roast Bone Marrow and Parsley Salad, is among the starters, along with Grilled, Marinated Calf's Heart and the gruesome-sounding but apparently delicious Rolled Pig's Spleen. He is a great advocate of salting and brining and tends to use saturated animals fats (duck, goose, lard) in quantities that would make a dietician blench. But when the results are dishes of the calibre of Brined Pork Belly, Roasted, Lamb's Tongues, Turnips, Bacon and Salted Duck's Legs, Green Beans, and Cornmeal Dumplings (trust me, they are astounding), who cares? Fish at St John avoids the usual fare--no monkfish or red mullet here; instead herring roes, salt cod, eel, brill and skate. Vegetables are mashed (swede, celeriac) or roasted (pumpkin, tomatoes) and he dares to serve boiled brussels sprouts. The puddings (not desserts) are a starry dream of school dinners: Treacle Tart, St John's Eccles Cakes and a "very nearly perfect" Chocolate Ice Cream. Not perhaps for the faint of heart, but for the adventurous an exciting feast of new and rediscovered flavours and textures. --Robin Davidson

About this edition

• Publisher: Ecco Press
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0060585366
• ISBN 13: 9780060585365
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224