Here is a review of a new cookbook by Fergus Henderson, the owner of St. John, a popular London restaurant known for serving dishes "on the wild side."
A Cookbook Review
My husband hasn’t stopped laughing at me since I got this cookbook. Being a chef, he is a very adventurous cook and eater. I thought I was pretty adventurous, too, but my husband knows better. I’ve eaten Haggis while in Scotland. It tasted good until I found out what it was. I guess I’m just not very brave when it comes to preparing, and eating, dishes cooked with animal blood. I’m not too wild about the not often-eaten animal organs either. As far as I will go on that one is that I will eat fried chicken livers once a year. If it were up to me to kill the animal and do something with the entire carcass, we’d be vegetarians. Most of my meats have to come in parts, sitting a Styrofoam tray wrapped in plastic. There should be little or no juices flowing.
I do appreciate Fergus Henderson’s cookbook though. I can see the appeal to the more adventurous types. I definitely understand a man’s need to show dominance over animals. I also think that this is an absolutely fabulous cookbook for a gourmet group. The recipes would be a challenge even to the most experienced cook. It would help the group’s focus move away from the more typical regional and international dishes to more basic ways of using the entire animal.
Just a Few of the Recipes in Fergus Henderson's Cookbook
Pea and Pig’s Ear Soup - Onion Soup and Bone Marrow Toast - Deconstructed Piccalilli - Skate, Chicory and Anchovy – Warm Pig’s Head – Grilled Marinated Calf’s Heart – Rolled Pig’s Spleen – Duck Neck Terrine – Deep-Fried Lamb’s Brains – Blood Cake and Fried Eggs – Pig’s Cheek and Tongue – Deviled Kidneys – Rabbit Wrapped in Fennel and Bacon – Hairy Tatties – Eel, Bacon and Prune Stew – Baked Celeriac and Eggs – Chocolate Ice Cream - St. John Chutney – Treacle Tart – Goat Curd and Marc – St. John’s Eccles Cakes – Welsh Rarebit (my kind of rabbit – a rarebit is made with cheese, beer and no animal – yum!)
In Conclusion -
If you’re someone who loves a cooking (and eating) challenge, this is the book for you. It could the whole basis of an exceptional gourmet club. Get your copy today.
Enjoy!
Check-Out this Sample Recipe for Chocolate Ice Cream.
