Beyond Nose to Tail

A Kind of British Cooking: Part II

By Fergus Henderson & Justin Piers Gellatly

A Book Review by Franz Scheurer

What can I say? It’s brilliant! It’s captivating, poignant, mouth-watering, clever, appealing and fabulously workable. Fergus Henderson is the genius who brought us Nose to Tail Eating and no doubt this was a terrific book. His Part II is even better. Just as quirky, just as affronting and challenging and just as wonderful.

Divided into Pig Skin and Fat, Soup, Salads, Pig’s Head, Trotter Gear, Two Pies, Miscellaneous Dishes without Trotter Gear, Cheesy Moments, Bread, Baking and Doughnuts, Puddings, Steadying Puddings, Ice Cream and finally, Basic but Vital. If you read the last and the Trotter Gear chapters first, then you can pick and chose almost any recipe in the book. They’re down to earth, with a reality that is uncanny and a depth of flavour that is generally long lost. These are no ‘quick recipes’ but substantial, flavour-laden, old-fashioned methods with a modern, unmistakable Henderson twist.

I’m in love!

Start with Potato and Back Fat Soup (page 16) and make sure you set up a Healthy Jar of Trotter Gear (page 42). Try Deep Fried Rabbit (page 44) and (if you have access to them) you can’t pass up Braised Squirrel (page 50). Snail, Trotter, Sausage and Chickpeas dish (page 51) reminds me of Janni Kyritsis, and if you’re feeling a bit frail then Chicken and Ox Tongue Pie (page 56) is a must. The text on venison offal (page 70) is incredibly relevant and although I haven’t got the patience for soudough, I love the Soda Bread (page 104). If you’re into snacks then the Hazelnut Biscuits (page 119) will interest you and I reckon the Lemon Curd (page 128) makes for an ultra-quick dessert by simply piping it into pre-made pastry shells. No meal would be complete without a hearty dessert and Bread Pudding (page 176) rocks my boat. It was Dr. Henderson’s ice cream (Fergus’ father, I presume?) that caught my attention towards the end of the book, giving exposure to Fernet Branca and Crème de Menthe.

This is a book to read, re-read and have read to you, as much a bedtime story as a whetter of appetite. Great stuff!

Published by Bloomsbury

ISBN 978-0-7475-8914-3

For more information go to: http://www.fergushenderson.co.uk