Publisher's Synopsis
In this enormous, beautiful book, we hear the full story of themeteoric rise of Heston Blumenthal and The Fat Duck, birthplace ofsnail porridge and bacon-and-egg ice cream, and encounter the passion,perfection and weird science behind the man and the restaurant.
HestonBlumenthal is widely acknowledged to be a genius, and The Fat Duck hastwice been voted the Best Restaurant in the World by a peer group oftop chefs. But he is entirely self-taught, and the story of hisrestaurant has broken every rule in the book. His success has beenborne out of his pure obsession, endless invention and a childishcuriosity into how things work- whether it's how smell affectstaste, what different flavours mean to us on a biological level, or howtemperature is distributed in the centre of a soufflé.
In the first section of The Big Fat Duck Cookbook,we learn the history of the restaurant, from its humble beginnings toits third Michelin star (the day Heston received the news of this hehad been wondering how exactly he would be able to pay his staff thatmonth). Next we meet 50 of his signature recipes - sardine on toastsorbet, salmon poached with liquorice, hot and iced tea, chocolate wine- which, while challenging for anyone not equipped with ice baths,dehydrators, vacuum pumps and nitrogen on tap, will inspire home cooksand chefs alike. Finally, we hear from the experts whose scientificknow-how has contributed to Heston's topsy-turvy world, on subjects asdiverse as synaesthesia, creaminess and flavour expectation.
Withan introduction by Harold McGee, incredible colour photographsthroughout, illustrations by Dave McKean, multiple ribbons, real clothbinding and a gorgeous slip case, The Big Fat Duck Cookbookisnot only the nearest thing to an autobiography from the world's mostfascinating chef, but also a stunning, colourful and joyous work ofart.
