Aiden Byrne-Made in Great Britain
Book of the Month for September
Aiden Byrne is one of Britain’s finest chefs, he is without doubt one of the brightest new talents the country has seen in a long time and now he has released his first book, ‘Made in Great Britain’ and I think it’s excellent.
Having worked at David Adlard’s, Pied a Terre, Tom Aikens and the Chester Grosvenor among many others he has developed a style all of his own at the Dorchester Hotel in London and this shows in some wonderfully constructed dishes in the book. His ‘Chilled Beetroot Gazpacho with Vodka Jelly and Avocado Sorbet’ looks stunning as does the ‘Saddle of Hare with Autumn Vegetables and Hare Hotpot’ a combination of nouvelle presentation and technique with a seperate pot of a classic country hotpot.
This is aimed at chefs despite his saying otherwise, the techniques, ingredients and preperation time make the majority of the dishes in his book a step too far for the home cook. I do not mean to offend any aspiring home cooks because I wouldn’t want to try these at home either. But having said that there are plenty of gems of information waiting to be gleaned from it, some dishes can be simplified to suit budget and ability whilst others will offer ideas about food pairing and flavouring.
The dessert section is strong too, I like his dish of ‘Banana and Peanut Crumble with Roasted Pineapple’ and his ‘Lime Cheesecake with Chilli Jelly and Mangoes’ is a lesson in giving the unexpected. There are plenty of recipes with a paragraph describing his thoughts behind each one coupled with excellent photographs by Sue Atkinson.
Have a look for yourself, if you’re a chef then buy it anyway. I’ve already pre-ordered my ‘Book of the Month for October’ it’s not out yet but I already know I’ll like it.
Made in Great Britain by Aiden Byrne
Published by New Holland
ISBN 978-1-84773-160-9
Miles,
I took a peek at Aiden’s beetroot gazpacho and Vodka jelly…. a tricky little number and if that’s anything to go by I’m sure you’re right about the standard set. With a clear kitchen and plenty of time, I’d have a go at this but then there would have to be no other courses and some very appreciative guests…. not the best or most likely of combinations around here on a normal day
Cid
p.s. there’s a bottle of Vodka in the sideboard kicking around, perhaps I’ll just make the jelly and we could all have a slab each, cocktail cherry optional
September 19, 2008 @ 8:34 pm
Cid,
Save the vodka for preserving those late fruits such as brambles and autumn raspberries. I’m not big on spirits but a small shot of that would be nice.
Wait for the next book review, that’ll be right up your street. Now read the latest post and help me out
Miles
September 19, 2008 @ 8:37 pm