In this beautiful smaller format edition of the award-winning Big Fat Duck Cookbook we hear
the full story of the meteoric rise of Heston Blumenthal and The Fat Duck birthplace of snail
porridge and bacon-and-egg ice cream and encounter the passion perfection and weird science
behind the man and the restaurant. Heston Blumenthal is widely acknowledged to be a genius
and The Fat Duck has twice been voted the Best Restaurant in the World by a peer group of top
chefs. But he is entirely self-taught and the story of his restaurant has broken every rule in
the book. His success has been borne out of his pure obsession endless invention and a
childish curiosity into how things work - whether it's how smell affects taste what different
flavours mean to us on a biological level or how temperature is distributed in the centre of a
soufflé. In the first section of The Fat Duck Cookbook we learn the history of the
restaurant from its humble beginnings to its third Michelin star (the day Heston received the
news of this he had been wondering how exactly he would be able to pay his staff that month).
Next we meet 50 of his signature recipes - sardine on toast sorbet 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 cooks and
chefs alike. Finally we hear from the experts whose scientific know-how has contributed to
Heston's topsy-turvy world. With an introduction by Harold McGee incredible colour
photographs throughout and illustrations by Dave McKean The Fat Duck Cookbook is not only the
nearest thing to an autobiography from the world's most fascinating chef but also a stunning
colourful and joyous work of art.
