Long before Gordon Ramsay bellowed expletives at his kitchen staff or Anthony Bourdain snarked his way around the globe there was Marco Pierre White. Dubbed the original enfant terrible of the culinary world, White became the youngest and first British chef to earn three Michelin stars. He was also the first ever to give them all back. Now a renowned restaurateur as well as an occasional cooking show host, White is the author of this week’s cookbook pick, “Wild Food from Land and Sea” (Melville House Publishing, 2010).
In his second cookbook White shares not only his iconic recipes but also the techniques that turn these dishes into extraordinary foods. With “Wild Food from Land and Sea” I’m able to take a simple sea scallop, whole chicken or brisket and, using White’s tips, transform it into a gustatory delight. My family and friends may think that I’ve had their gourmet dinner catered but in fact they owe their repast of poached oysters, guinea fowl with morels and lemon tart to me and Marco Pierre White.
As White explains in his introduction, most restaurant meals aren’t difficult to prepare. Rather it’s the presentation that makes them seem so daunting and awe-inspiring. To help home cooks recreate a confit of salmon with tian of eggplant or daube de boeuf bourguigonne, he provides 78 basic recipes in the latter half of his book. These guide readers through constructing sauces, stocks, dressings and garnishes such as parsnip puree, sun-dried tomatoes and creamed parsley. They also show how to craft homemade pastas, puff pastry and flavored butters and whip up the perfect risotto or souffle.
Along with these invaluable instructions, White offers alternate sides for his foods. In the “Fish Dishes” section he suggests partnering red mullet fillets with ratatouille but points out that they likewise go well with potato fondant or confit of fennel. Similarly, in “Puddings” he uses poached strawberries, pineapples and mangoes with creme vanille. Yet, he adds that a variety of fruits, including pears, kiwis and apricots, could appear in this dessert. Since ratatouille or poached pineapple won’t always delight my dining companions, I appreciate this flexibility with ingredients and pairings. I also like that White lists recipes for all of the accompaniments.
What I adore most about this book is how uncomplicated White makes cooking. Clear, step-by-step directions ease me through the trickiest-sounding dishes. If I can steam fish and cook mushrooms and potatoes, then I can prepare a cappuccino of mushrooms with crayfish tails and chervil. Know how to stuff and roast a chicken? Then I’ve got the skills needed for roast herbed chicken with chanterelles. It’s that easy.
The next time I want to wow my dinner guests or just jazz up the evening meal, I’ll reach for Marco Pierre White’s “Wild Food from Land and Sea.” It’s the perfect cookbook for fine, at-home dining.