The Big Fat Duck Cookbook by Heston Blumenthal

This is the biggest book I have ever seen. In fact, it doesn’t even fit on my book shelf! At over 500 pages and almost 12 pounds, it certainly is not a casual read.

Heston Blumenthal is the Executive Chef and owner of The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, England. The restaurant was opened in 1995 and is known for unusual dishes like egg and bacon ice cream and snail porridge. In 2005 The Fat Duck was voted best restaurant in the world by Restaurant Magazine. Blumenthal himself is a rare combination of meticulous craftsman and creative genius. It is clear a few pages into the semi-autobiographical and extensive introduction to The Big Fat Duck Cookbook that he gains extreme pleasure from asking the “whys” and “hows” of cooking and re-writing the culinary rule book. The back of the book contains a detailed index of equipment used at The Fat Duck, including vacuum ovens, refractometers, dessicators, pH testers, and super high pressure cookers. This index also includes musings and studies on topics such as the cooking of potato starches as well as essays by leading experts on how, for example, the tongue and brain decode food and flavor.

Ironically, the recipes in this book are about quality over quantity. The recipes take you from the ala carte portion of the menu through the tasting. Each recipe begins with a stunning, full page photo and is prefaced with a brief introduction to the dishes concept and the creative process Blumenthal used to reach a final product. Scattered between these recipes are eye-catching prints and illustrations. The recipes include “Flaming Sorbet,” “Cinnamon and/or Vanilla Ice Cream,” and “Red Cabbage Gazpacho with Pommery Grain Mustard Ice Cream.” Each recipe contains meticulous instructions for the preparation of each component and the construction of the final dish. Even if you never attempt a recipe, or even attempt a component of one of the recipes, the photos are exciting to look at and the prefaces a joy to read.

Red Cabbage Gazpacho with Pommery Grain Mustard Ice Cream

The Big Fat Duck Cookbook contains about everything a cookbook could possibly offer, and it better considering the weight, page number, and price tag. I would highly recommend this book to any dedicated chef wanting to expand their repetoire and their mind. If that’s not you however, Bloomsbury USA recently published a smaller version of the book with a lighter price tag, simply called The Fat Duck Cookbook.

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