Heston Blumenthal at Home

by Heston Blumenthal

Until now, home cooking has remained radically out of touch with the technological developments that characterize the rest of modern life. This is the book to prove that science can dramatically improve the way we eat. Having spent years refining his analytical and imaginative approach at the Fat Duck restaurant, Heston Blumenthal is uniquely qualified to bring the benefits of science to the domestic kitchen. Both time-saving and energy-efficient, his methods unlock the alchemical potential of flavor and taste.

The first part of the book maps the new techniques in fifteen sections, taste and flavor; stocks and infusing; brining, curing, marinating, and macerating; and sections on proper care of meat, fish, pasta, and many other dishes. In the second part, there are 150 specially chosen recipes. Here, at last, is the secret to irrefutably perfect fish and chips, as well as a few more unconventional dishes such as salmon with licorice, and crab lasagna.

Heston at Home is an ingeniously designed book for cooks who want to know how food works, and who are excited about adopting an unconventional approach that will revolutionize the experience of cooking at home.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Reference, Food and Wine, Culinary

408 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2011

About the author

Heston Blumenthal is chef-patron of The Fat Duck in Bray, a three Michelin-starred restaurant known for its whimsical, scientific and creative style of cookery and famed for being named World’s Best Restaurant more than once.

At the age of 16, Heston travelled to France with his family for the first time and became fascinated with the world of food. He spent the next decade learning the basics of French cuisine from books and working as everything from a photocopier salesman to a debt collector to fund annual research trips to France. One of the books that most influenced him was On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee, which questioned the fundamental rules of the kitchen and explored the science of cooking.

Heston opened The Fat Duck in 1995 with no financial backing. On the second day of opening the oven exploded, and Heston spent the rest of service with a bag of frozen peas on his head. Gradually, the restaurant eventually moved from serving simple French bistro food to the innovative, rule-breaking, multi-sensory tasting menu it serves today. Perhaps what is most extraordinary about the success of The Fat Duck is that Heston is entirely self-taught, save for three weeks spent in a few professional kitchens.

Reviews

[Mandie Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know he did it, but Heston Blumenthal managed to make a recipe book containing the most basic of recipes new and exciting. If anyone else wrote a book containing recipes for chicken stock, roast chicken, quiche Lorraine, fish pie, mayonnaise and a grilled cheese toastie, I would say no thank you, I already have books with those recipes. But you just know that a Heston Blumenthal grilled cheese toastie is no ordinary grilled cheese toastie. No, the Heston toastie makes use of an inedible kitchen sponge as a tool and has a fondue cheese filling.

I'm not even going to bother writing a lengthy review for this one. It's simple, if you enjoy cooking great food, but also want to understand some of the processes behind creating great food, get this book. If you just want to make great food without knowing why it's great, you can get this book too. And if you're a novice cook looking to start making great food, get this book, but know that usually it's a lot less complicated to make a grilled cheese sandwich.

[Jennifer Rinehart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a friend whose mother was a dental hygienist and yep, she was a floss nazi. Floss and toothbrushes for Christmas, mouthwash for birthdays and graduation. Now, clearly, dental hygiene is an interesting and varied subject, but it isn't something you would encounter everywhere, right? I mean besides the obvious of checking out everyone's smiles.

I guess what I'm getting at is that food is everywhere. Everyone eats. Everyone prepares food for eating (well, maybe not Queen Elizabeth) but the rest of us do, every day. But for someone like Heston Blumenthal, you'd think he'd just cart home some leftovers from his famous restaurant, The Fat Duck. That's what my roommate did when she worked at a pizza place, pizza for breakfast and pizza for dinner.

But I guess when food isn't just a past time, but an all consuming love affair, you might want to relax at home with it.

Heston's ideas about home food are pretty different from mine (insert radically different, I just ate a sausage sandwich with a side of apple slices for dinner). Here are some of the more elegant recipes that I won't be making any time soon; Hay Smoked Mackeral, Chestnut Veloute with Duck Confit, Scallop Tartare with White Chocolate, Oxtail Faggots with Celeriac Puree, Fennel in Smoked Duck Fat and Arlette with Pressed Apple Terrine for dessert.

I wont make them because I can't. Maybe if I went to a culinary academy I could, but, if it didn't turn out, it would be my ineptitude not Mr. Blumenthal's recipe that is to blame. His recipes are golden. They are detailed and thoughtful and each and every spatula flick and drop of liquid honey has been tried and tried again.

What I liked best about this cookbook is the following;

1. New vocabulary. I had to look up a lot of the terminology which was great because I learned some interesting things about cooking. What they say is true, you learn something new everyday, in this case I found out what a sous vide is (a cooker for making things in bags, sorta like a boil-in-bag tv dinner) and a terrine, a name of a pan for making forcemeats (pate) and also the name of a food cooked in a terrine shape (not real clear on this, since terrines come in several different shapes, so confusing).

2. Mr. Blumenthal approaches recipes with a scientist's soul. He shows examples of caramels made with different sugars and explains what happens when you heat the sugars to boiling. The same with his recipes for poaching salmon versus cooking it in a sous vide or a bain marie. I like this a lot, especially since he describes the texture of the salmon and the varying kinds of presentation and sauces that should be served with each. His explanations of the processes are so helpful, that in a fit of extreme foodie excitement, I started cruising online for a sous vide, luckily, I got an invoice from my dentist and forgot all about my cooking obsessions.

3. Strange but exciting techniques, such as egg straining for consomme, blanching garlic in milk for Bagna Cauda and slow brining meats.

4. Several delectable recipes for things I've been wanting to make at home, but hadn't found a recipe I was in love with yet, Chicken and Ham Pie (I picture Mrs. Weasley making this for Harry Potter), vanilla butter and Tiramisu.

5. Recipes for foods that sound tasty and just challenging enough to make me feel like a kitchen hero; Truffle Macaroni, Beef Tagliata, Lamb Steaks with Tapenade and Lemon Tart (I love lemons).

I would normally say this isn't a book for home cooks because it doesn't have a lot of recipes home cooks could master, but the recipes that could be made at home, plus the wealth of information Mr. Blumenthal shares, makes this book as much a cooking resource as a Thesaurus for a writer.

[Jelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book for the experienced, curious and adventurous home cook. Lots of theory on the science of cooking with accompanying recipes.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gift book for the wannabe chef and food enthusiast. Ingredients and flavours are explained in detail even before the recipes begin. Then there are scores of recipes ranging from the flavour-filled ordinary to the surprising and exotic. Not every recipe has a picture (though many do), which could make it hard for a non-expert chef to follow. Not that you can ever get it to look like the picture anyway...

[Martha Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful pix and a range of difficulty on the recipes - not everyone could use this "at home" comfortably on every recipe but he does help you to reimagine techniques and tools and because he is self taught he can explain how he learned that they work.

[Szava · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will probably never make half of these recipes and it's the sheer amount of information and knowledge there is inside this book is why I asked for it for my birthday anyway.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best cooking book I have read so far

[M1nh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't cook but this beautifully-written, giant-hulk-of-a-book makes me want to... so far I have cooked recipe from this book Lmao.

[Manna · Rating 5 out of 5]

o god

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven’t tested any of the recipes. Most of them seemed overly fancy. However the chapter introductions give a lot of information about basic cooking skills.

[^ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s difficult to know where to begin in assessing this book. I should firstly and firmly state that although I bought this book new, I did not, and would not have, paid the cover price of £30. I paid £7. I justify and retain my reputation as ’maintaing a good table’ by what I cook, and not by the number of currently ‘fashionable’ authors of volumes in my (admittedly large) library of cookery books.

There’s no doubting that Mr Blumenthal is very astute, and that he’s a very capable chef. By dazzling his bemused audience with a showmanship rooted in the science behind cookery, he has not only revived interest in the science of Chemistry, but has generated new patterns of foodie-talk. Rather like wine enthusiasts who have long waxed lyrical, Blumenthal has, in essence, bestowed upon his besotted clique of customers and TV viewers, an undoubtedly pleasurable social activity in exercising the language of food; a healthy discussion in scientific terms, tempered by such madcap fun as one finds in Kipling’s Stalky, or Crompton’s Just William. Blumenthal has found his niche. I admire him for his commercial ‘nous’.

Like Blumenthal, I love slow cooking. It DOES do wonders for the flavour of meat. I tend to indulge in slow cooked food during the winter months; so that the oven heat contributes something to warming the house. However I haven’t before considered slow roasting a 1.5 – 2kg chicken at as low a temperature as as 90°C for as long as 4hrs, plus 45 min resting, plus 10 min high-temperature browning (p.142). I’ll leave you to do the sums. I don’t doubt that the flavour will be excellent. The question is more one of what time in the morning do I have to get out of bed to lift the raw chicken from its overnight 8% brine (salt in water) bath in the refrigerator, and into the 90°C pre-heated oven, for Sunday one o’clock lunch? Am I correct in presuming that the cooking directions apply to a bird at fridge rather than room temperature? Blumenthal doesn’t say. He states that he cooks a roast chicken for an evening meal. Well, at least that assures HIS Sunday sleep-in. But when does he actually take that bird out of its bath? After patting it dry, does he put it back into the fridge untill teatime? Or not? Or what? I shall just have to continue to enjoy the flavour and texture of my home-stuffed free-range (preferably home-grown) chicken ‘roasted’ at 18min/500g + 18 min over. Is the difference in taste detectable? Is it really worth the extra performance time? I don’t know. Clearly I’ll have to try one day. Gosh, will I get the brining time / temperature ‘correct’?

A company here in Britain now markets everything the home cook requires for restaurant-style sous-vide cooking. Has Blumenthal negotiated a financial cut? I don’t know; but he certainly uses a broad trowel to promote the method in glowing terms within his book. Clearly an ideal ‘gift solution’! Methinks that hay-box cooking would be more economical, and if interest wanes, then a pet rabbit or gerbil will be more than glad to receive the hay. What are the comparable costs of consumables and in overall energy usage? How much non-degradable, non-recyclable, plastic waste does sous-vide generate? ‘At Home’, Heston does not tell us. I expect that the proof of the sous-vide cooking method will be determined by how soon (or not) sous-vide follows fondue sets, pasta machines, chocolate fountains, and such like into the charity (thrift) shops. Time (and energy bills) will tell.

Overall I found this book to be a very interesting read, and one that IS well worth its weight for imaginative concepts which spark further experimentation. But, oh, how I wish it was significantly more compact, lighter, containing less verbal waffle, a lighter touch by the typesetter and photographer; such that overall it graciously leave more space on my bookshelves for other cookery books by other great writers.

Be advised to consider Harold McGee’s books as essentials, whereas Heston Blumenthal’s are for giving, receiving, and planting a tree in compensation to the planet that feeds us.

[Melanie Ebenhoch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dieses Buch hat es auf Anhieb auf Platz 1 meiner Lieblingskochbücher geschafft und es ist eins der Kochbücher, das wirklich intensiv genutzt und gelesen wird. Ich habe bereits mehrere Gerichte aus dem Buch nachgekocht Und bisher war jedes einfach unglaublich lecker. Blumenthal hat für seine 2 Restaurants in England 5 Michelin-Sterne und jeder einzelne Stern ist berechtigt. Es ist sehr hilfreich, wenn man sich mit Kochen gut auskennt bevor man sich an Blumenthal's Rezepte macht und Utensilien wie Digitalwaage und -thermometer müssen unbedingt vorhanden sein.
Das Buch enthält neben klassischen Rezepte auch sehr viele ungewöhnliche. Die Beschreibungen sind sehr genau und detailliert - ich hatte anfangs Bedenken bei dem Rezept für Single Malt Whisky Weingummis, da ja alleine die Hauptzutat schon zu teuer ist um einen Reinfall erleben zu wollen. Die Weingummis sind auf Anhieb gelungen und so lecker, dass ich sie definitiv wieder machen werde.
Das Buch ist eingeteilt in Kapitel wie "Fisch", "Fleisch", "Suppen", "Desserts" usw und zu jedem Kapitel gibt es am Anfang eine sehr detaillierte Beschreibung zu der Hauptzutat - z.B. wie man Fisch oder Fleisch richtig brät, kocht, usw. (nie Fleisch nach dem Braten in den Ofen!) oder wie man was womit geliert. Neben den Rezepten gibt es einen sehr nützlichen Kochlehrgang gleich dazu.
Blumenthal ist wohl am ehesten als Initiator der sog. "Molekularküche" bekannt und in seinem "The Fat Duck"-Restaurant gibt es Gerichte/Getränke, die gleichzeitig heiß und kalt sind. Einige Gerichte aus "The Fat Duck" tauchen auch in diesem Kochbuch auf; für das Whisky-Eis z.B. wird Trockeneis benötigt (ich wüsste zu gerne wo ich 1kg erwerben kann :-) ). Die Gerichte, die ich bisher gekocht habe, sind aber nicht nur ungewöhnlich, sondern auch alle ungewöhnlich lecker.
Was einige Leute vielleicht abschrecken wird: die Rezepte sind meistens sehr zeitintensiv - selbst dann, wenn die Beschreibungen nur über einige kurze Absätze geht. Die "Triple-Cooked Chips" (Pommes) werden erst gekocht und dann 2x bei unterschiedlichen Temperaturen fritiert und zwischendurch immmer lange im Kühlschrank gekühlt. Eine Portion Pommes "mal eben auf die Schnelle" funktioniert nach diesem Rezept nicht - dafür hat man die leckersten Pommes, die man jemals gegessen hat.
Viele Rezepte bestehen aus mehreren Einzelteilen, die jede für sich gemacht werden müssen und am Ende erst zusammen gefügt werden. Bisher hat es sich immer gelohnt, kein Einzelteil auszulassen; dies war häufig das, was ein leckeres Gericht noch verbessert. "They make it sing", wie man im Englischen sagen würde.
Ich werde noch sehr viele Gerichte aus diesem Kochbuch nachkochen. Einen einzigen Nachteil gibt es aber doch: dieses Buch ist nicht auf Deutsch erhältlich. Es gibt Hierzulande ja Kochbücher wie Sand am Meer, aber ein ähnlich herausragendes wie dieses hier habe ich noch nicht gesehen. "Heston Blumenthal At Home" ist einfach großartig.

[Kate Croft · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely lovely cookbook, particularly for culinary nerds who are interested in the gastro-sciences. A world-renowned chef and molecular gastronomist, Blumenthal sometimes describes his kitchen at the Michelin-rated restaurant Fat Duck as looking "more like a laboratory" - one where temperatures are measured to tenths of a degree, and "aromas" are cooked up to serve alongside a meal. Most of the Fat Duck recipes are not, I would wager, particularly suited for preparation at home. In "Heston Blumenthal at Home," however, Blumenthal serves up recipes more suited to the home kitchen - or at least, the home kitchen of a culinary enthusiast who might keep agar-agar on hand, and is considering acquiring a sous-vide.

The recipes are undoubtedly fabulous, but the real glory of this cookbook is in the long-form text interspersed between sections. Here Heston gives brilliant science lessons about flavor pairing, molecular structures, and the human palate that will revolutionize the way you think about preparing and serving food. From the scientific role of aroma, to why ice filtration is superior to egg filtration when making consomme, to why scallops and white chocolate work well together, this informative and insightful prose compliments gorgeous recipes and exquisite photos (of which there are far too few) from beginning to end. With a tendency toward traditional English fare, this collection finds the moment of compliment between inquisitive culinary art and home-cooked pleasure.

[Martijn van Duivenboden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hoewel de titel Heston Blumenthal Thuis doet vermoeden dat iedere thuiskok wat met dit boek kan, is dit echt een boek voor de geoefende kok. En daarmee wordt ook het enige minpunt van dit boek benoemd. De eigenzinnige Blumenthal - die in Groot Brittannië op handen wordt gedragen - legt op een heldere wijze wat koken als chemisch proces is. Garing, textuur, smaken en gereedschap worden zo beschreven dat het je fundamentele kijk op koken verandert en verbetert. Hierin is hij schatplichtig aan Harold McGee's Over Eten & Koken, maar dan minder wetenschappelijk en ondersteund met prachtig fotowerk. De recepten laten, zoals dat moet, ruimte over voor de fantasie. Al kan hij het je met sommige ingrediënten wel moeilijk maken. Als je een product niet kan vinden, dan mag je zelf een alternatief verzinnen. Dat daagt uit. Voor wie dit boek nog te hoog gegrepen is kan beter terecht bij Blumenthal's grote held Ferran Adria's boek Thuis Koken. Maar als je die uit hebt gekookt, dan toch verder met Blumenthal.

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is well put together, well presented, and no doubt the recipes would be really impressive.

If you made them.

Personally I am put off by instructions for a recipe that fill or exceed one relatively large page.

Maybe if there was a reasonable menu with instructions on how to do a number of dishes at once, step by step....but it looks like any one recipe would pretty much take your whole attention. No room for any other items on your table.

[Vuk Trifkovic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cold, soulless and very 1980. Full of uninspiring and insipid recipes. Nothing I'd really wish to cook. But boy, does he do a good job of breaking down the process of cooking and laying it all out for you. So, don't worry if you don't like Blumenthal or if you don't want to cook any of his dishes. It's still a very good read.

[Karen Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cook book to read from cover to cover... He has a great way of explaining the theory and science of food and taste... Such a genius and 'the fat duck' restaurant is at the very top of my bucket list- it's a shame that the recipes themselves are a little lack luster... Especially compared to the truly magical dishes he specializes in at his restaurant...

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't a recipe book on how to make food magic like Heston Blumenthal. It's a down to earth techniques textbook which reads well and draws you in. I may just get rid of all my recipe books and focus on technique. (Or not.)

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful pix and a range of difficulty on the recipes - not everyone could use this "at home" comfortably on every recipe but he does help you to reimagine techniques and tools and because he is self taught he can explain how he learned that they work.

[Becca Osborn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, I realize I am reviewing a cookbook. In my defense I read the entire thing and I loved learning new aspects of cooking from Heston. I can't wait to employ this new knowledge and I've already loved the recipes I've tried.

[Arna · Rating 4 out of 5]

inspired - though worried about sourcing ingredients and a sous-vide machine. Perhps a trip to Milly's!

[Jenna M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Heston is for show not for home, I think

[Cutestar · Rating 5 out of 5]

crazy :)