Tag: heston blumenthal

Heston Blumenthal is not a classically trained chef. Having spent many years touring France and staging in kitchens as he went along, every night Heston would go home and try and recreate dishes as perfectly as he could. After taking a punt in opening a restaurant in Bray, it very quickly became a must-see destination, followed by three Michelin stars, and was at one point the best restaurant in the world. Heston has become known for his ‘wacky’ approach, but it’s one that is desperate to make the most of every ingredient he turns his attention to.

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book review food

ranking the books of heston blumenthal

heston blumenthal best book

Which is Heston Blumenthal’s best book? Blumenthalophile that I am I own them all, so I thought I’d compile them all in one list. I’ve ranked them from least favourite to most favourite. He’s authored 7 distinct books spanning 20+ years (with a couple of compendiums, deluxe editions and best-ofs) with different themes and ideas.

Video version of this review here:

As a big fan of Heston Blumenthal I made a list of how I rank his books.

7. 📚 Heston’s Fantastical Feasts: the menus and themes are fun, but all of it is so out there you’re never likely to do it. It’s all very specific. My full review here.

Buy on Amazon

6. 📚 Family Food: written in 2002 and it is definitely a reined-in Heston. There’s lots of recipes and discussion but very little of it has the wizardry we associate with him, besides a few standouts like Herve This’s chocolate mousse.

Buy on Amazon

5. 📚 Is This a Cookbook?: it’s an adorable book (and nice to have one ‘normal’ size!) with beautiful David McKean illustrations, and lots of ruminations from Heston on how a recipe works. There’s also a whole chapter on cooking with cricket powder which is… different.

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4. 📚 The Fat Duck Cookbook: a proper labour of love, much like the restaurant. The first section is a history of the venue, the second detailed breakdowns of significant recipes, and the third a science of food. A very heavy read with small font and it weighs a ton! Read this to get inside his mind, but otherwise it’s a curio. My full review here.

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3. 📚 Historic Heston ever-fascinated with the history of recipes in the UK, this is a timeline of dishes that he has found with his methods to modernise them. You’re very unlikely to cook anything from it, but you understand a lot about how he cooks and how to adapt recipes. My full review is here.

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2. 📚 In Search of Perfection: from the TV series of the same name, this remains very enjoyable and readable where he recreates a classic dish from the ground up. The core concept was to keep the recipes achievable for the home cook so there’s lots to attempt if you’re up for a challenge. I also get the sensation he’s really enjoying himself.

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1. 📚 Heston Blumenthal at Home: strikes the balance right between recipes and food theory. Excellent photography, a real deep understanding of how a recipe works, and the feeling that these genuinely are things he enjoys cooking.

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Do you own one of these cookbooks? Which is Heston Blumenthal’s best book? Let me know in the comments!

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bacon egg food ice cream milk

heston blumenthal’s egg and bacon ice cream

Heston Blumenthal was born in West London in 1966. His childhood fed many of his culinary fantasies he was to later draw upon and revisit: from fish and chips at Norman’s Plaice, to ice cream at the Regent Snack Bar. Breakfast and ice cream recur throughout his career, and the confluence of those is one I’m going to look at and cook today: egg and bacon ice cream.

This recipe, like so many of Heston’s, was born out of obsession and one of the first foods he investigated in depth at The Fat Duck restaurant. He wanted to find the perfect creamy mixture, with bold flavours, and yet not tasting too eggy. Not every ice cream recipe needs eggs but egg is an emulsifier that suspends butterfat particles and creates richer, creamier ice cream that stores really well. Searching for the perfect ice cream he began to experiment with all the variables, tweaking egg volume, freezing time, sugar content. After pushing received wisdom that custard bases should be cooked no higher than 85°c, his pastry chef Jocky Petrie commented that the overheated result “looked just like scrambled egg”. This eureka moment sent Heston off in a breakfast direction, remembering how much egg and bacon was a special treat growing up. After some refinement the dish first appeared on the menu at the Fat Duck restaurant in 2000.

The original plating in 2000

It might surprise you that this recipe uses milk powder. Heston has long favoured ice cream recipes with a low sugar content. Not for dietary reasons, but to create a denser texture and heightened flavours. Because of reduced fat and sugar, this recipe is high in egg yolks. The skimmed milk powder stops the ice cream from crystallising to create richness yet light and clean.

There are two published versions of the recipe: the uber-recipe from The Fat Duck Cookbook is an unsurprisingly complex and multi-layered affair, with tea jellies and tomato compotes. But there’s also the comparatively laid back version in Heston at Home, which is what I’ve emulated here: with the ice cream served with an egg-soaked bread and candied bacon. Much more approachable and likely more crowd pleasing.

The original recipe requires dry ice. I wasn’t willing to stretch to this – I can’t find it for under £37 – but instead used my ice cream maker for the final step. It may not be truly authentic but at least it’s Heston’s own endorsed model?

The result is a surprising and playful dessert that combines sweet, creamy ice cream with the savoury and smoky flavours of bacon. The Egg and Bacon Ice Cream reflects Blumenthal’s signature style of molecular gastronomy, where he combines unexpected ingredients and techniques to create unconventional but delicious dishes.

It is terrific. Really, super tasty. If you like dishes that combine sweet and salty flavours this is the one for you. The ice cream has a sweet but smoky flavour with a slightly ‘chunky’ texture and is a real winner. But the pain perdu / french toast / eggy bread is stunning. With a glass-like finish and sweet, chewy middle it’s sensational and worth having with other desserts.

Here’s a variation on the recipe served in egg shells.

And here’s Aldo’s version from BigFatUndertaking.

Print

egg and bacon ice cream

Heston Blumenthal's ice cream inspired dessert is french toast with a twist of sweet / savoury ice cream.
Course Dessert
Cuisine British
Keyword savoury, sweet
Servings 2 people
Calories 609kcal

Equipment

  • Ice cream machine

Ingredients

For the ice cream base:

  • 66 g sweet-cured smoked back bacon
  • 166 g full-cream milk
  • 5 g semi-skimmed milk powder
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 20 g caster sugar

For the pain perdu:

  • clarified butter
  • 2 slices brioche stale (refrigerate overnight in a container to speed this up)
  • 100 g milk
  • 1 egg
  • 10 g golden caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

For the caramelised bacon:

  • 2 slices smoked bacon
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

For the ice cream base and caramelised bacon:

  • To start the ice-cream base, preheat the grill to high. Lay the bacon slices on a baking tray lined with baking paper and place under the grill for 5-7 minutes or until crisp.
  • At the same time mix the syrup, salt and sugar together and then brush on two more bacon slices and grill with the other bacon. When this is cooked refrigerate until needed.
  • When the initial bacon is cooked, drain on kitchen paper and cut it into strips. Place in a bowl, pour over the milk then refrigerate to infuse overnight.
  • The next day, put the milk and bacon into a saucepan and add the milk powder. Place over a medium-low heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Remove from the heat and strain off the bacon.
  • In the meantime, blitz the egg yolks and sugar together using a hand blender. Combine the egg mixture with the warm milk and return the pan to the heat. Warm the liquid until it just reaches 90ºC.
  • Once this temperature has been reached, remove the pan from the heat and pass the ice-cream base through a fine sieve into a clean container over iced water, pushing the custard through with the back of a spoon. Transfer to an ice cream machine and churn until done. Freeze until needed.

For the pain perdu:

  • Mix the egg, milk, vanilla and sugar together. Dunk the bread in to soak for 20 minutes. After this time remove the bread to a rack to drain for a couple of minutes.
  • Melt a tablespoon of clarified butter in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the bread and fry on all sides, remove and place on paper towel to absorb any excess fat.
  • Wipe the pan out then place it over a medium-high heat. Add enough sugar to cover the bottom of the pan and allow to melt.
  • Once the sugar has completely melted and caramelised, add the bread and cover every side. Once coated on all sides, remove the bread from the pan, place on a silicone mat and allow to cool.
  • To serve, scoop the ice cream into a serving bowl (I used an egg cup). Place a slice of crystallised bacon on top and serve with pain perdu on the side.

Video

Notes

If you don't have an ice cream machine, you probably don't have dry ice either. This can be also made by placing into a freezer, and breaking up every 30 minutes but the results won't be a smooth.
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Heston’s Fantastical Feasts: A Culinary Journey Through Time with World-Renowned Chef Heston Blumenthal

Heston Blumenthal is a British chef known for his innovative approach to cooking and his ability to push boundaries in the kitchen. His latest book, “Heston’s Fantastical Feasts,” is a celebration of his most creative and imaginative dishes, and it’s a must-read for anyone interested in modern cuisine. It was written to accompany the Channel 4 series “Heston’s Feasts” in 2009 and 2010.

Where can I watch Heston’s Feasts?

If you’re not familiar with Heston Blumenthal’s work, you can also catch him in action in his television series of the same name, “Heston’s Fantastical Feasts,” available to watch on streaming platforms such as All 4 and AppleTV.

What is Heston Blumenthal’s most famous dish?

Blumenthal’s most famous dish is likely his “snail porridge,” which he created at his restaurant The Fat Duck. The dish, which combines snails with oats, garlic, and other ingredients, is a perfect example of Blumenthal’s approach to cooking, which involves combining unexpected flavours and textures to create something entirely new. Triple Cooked Chips are another recipe, where his attention to detail pushed him to create the ultimate version of a familiar dish. Sound of the Sea, where diners’ meal is accompanied by an ipod, is indicative of Heston’s multisensory approach to cooking.

The Book’s Contents:

The book is divided into chapters that each focus on a specific theme, such as “Fairytale Feast” and “Titanic Feast.” Each chapter contains a collection of recipes that relate to the theme, as well as stories and anecdotes from Blumenthal’s life and career.

The recipes themselves are impressive, both in terms of their creativity and their complexity. Some of the highlights include “Edible Graveyard,” which features a dessert that looks like a miniature burial plot complete with edible soil and flowers, and “Posh Pot Noodle,” which is a nod to the convenience snack but upgraded with dashi and bonito.

One thing that sets this book apart from other cookbooks is the emphasis on storytelling. Blumenthal uses each recipe as an opportunity to share a personal story or to explain the inspiration behind the dish. This adds depth and meaning to each recipe and makes the book an engaging read beyond just a collection of recipes.

In addition to the recipes and stories, the book also features beautiful photography that showcases each dish in all its glory. More images would help though, as following all the detailed stages is complex.

Conclusion:

Overall, “Heston’s Fantastical Feasts” is a different cookbook that showcases Blumenthal’s incredible talent and creativity. While the recipes may be too challenging for some home cooks, the book is still worth reading for anyone interested in modern cuisine and the art of storytelling through food. Whether you’re a fan of Blumenthal’s work or simply interested in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the kitchen, this book is sure to inspire. For more information consider Historic Heston.

Buy Heston’s Fantastical Feasts on Amazon

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dinner by heston: a culinary journey through time

Located in the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park hotel in London, Dinner by Heston is a restaurant like no other. Founded by renowned British chef Heston Blumenthal, the restaurant serves up a unique dining experience that blends history, science, and art. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at what makes Dinner by Heston such a special place to eat, as well as answering some key questions about the restaurant.

How much does it cost to eat at Dinner by Heston?

Dinner by Heston is a fine dining restaurant, which means that it can be quite expensive to eat there. However, the restaurant offers a number of different dining options to suit different budgets. Here are some of the prices you can expect to pay at Dinner by Heston:

  • A la carte menu: Starters from £26, main courses from £50, desserts from £22.
  • Set lunch menu: Two courses for £45, three courses for £50.
  • Chef’s table: £325 per person for a tasting menu with wine pairing.
  • Private dining: Prices vary depending on the size of the group and the menu chosen.

It’s worth noting that prices are subject to change and can vary depending on the time of year.

Who owns Dinner by Heston?

Dinner by Heston is owned by Mandarin Oriental International, a luxury hotel group with properties around the world. However, the restaurant was founded by Heston Blumenthal, who is known for his innovative approach to cooking and his passion for exploring the science behind food.

By Jbamsey33 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70283227

How many Michelin stars does Dinner have?

Dinner by Heston has two Michelin stars, which is a testament to the quality of the food and the level of service provided by the restaurant. The restaurant has held two Michelin stars since 2012, just two years after it opened.

What sort of food do they serve?

Dinner by Heston serves modern British cuisine with a focus on historical inspiration. The restaurant’s menu features dishes that are based on historical recipes, many of which date back to the medieval period and beyond. The chefs use modern techniques and a scientific approach to cooking to create dishes that are both delicious and innovative. Some of the restaurant’s signature dishes include the Meat Fruit, a chicken liver parfait that looks like a mandarin orange, and the Tipsy Cake, a brioche cake soaked in brandy and served with spit-roasted pineapple. The menu changes regularly to reflect the seasons and the availability of ingredients. The restaurant also offers a range of vegetarian and vegan options, as well as a children’s menu.

meat fruit at dinner by heston. Image copyright Laissez Fare

Who is head chef at Dinner by Heston London?

Dinner by Heston has had a number of head chefs over the years, including Ashley Palmer-Watts, who worked with Heston Blumenthal at The Fat Duck before joining Dinner by Heston as head chef in 2011. In 2021 it was announced that Jonny Glass would take over as head chef of the restaurant. Glass worked at Dinner by Heston for over six years, and was previously the restaurant’s executive sous chef. Jon Bowring is the current head chef having worked his way up through the ranks since 2013.

What makes Dinner by Heston special?

Dinner by Heston is a truly unique restaurant, and there are a number of factors that contribute to its specialness. Here are just a few of the things that make it such a special place to eat:

  • Historical inspiration: Many of the dishes on the menu are inspired by historical recipes and ingredients, dating back to the 14th century and beyond. Many of these are documented in Historic Heston.
  • Science and innovation: Heston Blumenthal is known for his scientific approach to cooking, and this is evident in many of the recipes.
  • Artistic presentation: The food is not only delicious, but also beautifully presented, with a focus on attention to detail and artistic flair.
  • Exceptional service: The staff are highly trained and knowledgeable, and provide a level of service that is second to none.

In conclusion, Dinner by Heston is a restaurant that offers a unique and unforgettable dining experience. With its historical inspiration, scientific approach, artistic presentation, and exceptional service, it’s no wonder that this restaurant has become one of London’s most popular and highly-regarded dining destinations.

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