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The
appliance of science - Star turn
June 11 2005
Star anise is one of my favourite spices. It comes from a plant in the magnolia family, and is totally different from European aniseed, which originated with another Asian plant, Pimpinella anisum. Sniff star anise - or, if you're brave enough, chew on...
The appliance of science - The best solution
June 04 2005
Last week, I touched on the general principles of brining - ie, the basic mixture of 5% salt (around 5g): 100ml water - and the advantages it can bring to a range of dishes. This week, I want to go into more detail.
The appliance of science - Soak it and see
May 28 2005
Brining seems a rather old-fashioned technique, but we've been using it recently to improve the flavour of several dishes - not on the traditional ham or bacon, but on lamb before it goes into Lancashire hot pot and on rabbit for rabbit terrine.
The appliance of science - In the pink
May 21 2005
Rhubarb is a wonderfully versatile vegetable (and, technically speaking, that's what it is, not a fruit), because its acidity means it works equally well in savoury and in sweet dishes. It can be used to make a sauce for John Dory or a compote to serve...
The appliance of science - An eye-opening experience
May 14 2005
I've just returned from Marrakesh, where I went for a few days on business. I had one evening free, so I went to the market in the Square of the Martyrs. Talk about energy - quite apart from all the stalls selling just about everything under the sun
The appliance of science - A clean sheet
May 07 2005
I was a bit surprised to see a year-old environmental health officer's report on the Fat Duck on the Guardian's front page last Monday. The piece said that the health officer had concerns about some of our cooking practices, though it concluded that they...
The appliance of science - Quaking pudding revisited
April 30 2005
I think we've cracked it: the definitive quaking pudding. We must have made around 50 variations of this dish before we came up with what I like to think of as the finished article, which we serve at the Hind's Head.
The appliance of science - Saturation point
April 23 2005
The more I learn about the world of flavour - how we perceive it, register it, react to it - the more factors come into play, and the more complicated and fascinating it becomes.
The appliance of science - Blowing hot and cold
April 16 2005
I am really excited by the new dishes we've been developing, some of which will be on the menu later this month. One of them is a drink that is hot if you drink from one side of the glass it's served in and cold on the other.
The appliance of science - Let's take stock
April 09 2005
I have just discovered a brilliant way of producing clear stocks without any loss of flavour. Classically, when you want to clarify a stock — to make a consommé, say, or just to have a clear stock as the base for a sauce — you whisk so...
The appliance of science - Not to be sniffed
at
April 02 2005
Another amazing discovery I made at the centre for food science in Holland involved how we smell. For one thing, we don't actually smell, or even breathe, evenly through both nostrils at the same time. Dr John Prince used a kind of mask to demonstrate...
The appliance of science - Testing, testing
...
March 26 2005
As you know, I'm seriously interested in what happens to us when we eat, in our physiological and psychological reactions: the more we understand, the greater the possibilities for what and how we cook. To this end, recently I visited one of the Dutch...
The appliance of science - Same difference
March 19 2005
Particular foods were once considered as a single entity: an apple was an apple, a cabbage a cabbage and a pork chop a pork chop. Now, though, we know that an apple is, in fact, a recipe in itself, consisting of tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousa...
The appliance of science - A taste of things
to come
March 12 2005
Last week I wrote about how the world of taste and flavour is becoming more complex and fascinating. Scientists have discovered that we have twice as many genes that register flavour than originally thought and showed that we each have a different
The appliance of science - Taste genes
March 05 2005
As you may have guessed by now, my biggest source of inspiration and culinary excitement comes from the way we perceive food and taste. I am fascinated by the way our senses work together and how they affect the way we respond to food. It is a subject
The appliance of science - A trifle obscure
February 26 2005
Our raison d'être at the Hind's Head was to bring back classic British pub food in all its glory, and we've been making good progress. As part of that process, we've been thinking about reviving some forgotten or less known dishes, but we've come
The appliance of science - Dried and tested
February 19 2005
Dried fruit slices have been part of restaurant dishes for years, but they don't always look as appetising as they taste. This is especially true of slices made from green-skinned apples such as Granny Smiths, as they have a tendency to go brown when the...
The appliance of science - Pasta master
February 12 2005
This week I've decided to tackle the great 'how to cook pasta' debate. Most people have their own method, but there is an unwritten law of the professional kitchen that you use 1 litre water: 10g salt: 100g pasta. That's a useful start, but let's look
The appliance of science - Another fine mess
February 05 2005
During my time as Weekend's cookery writer, I once gave a recipe for Eton Mess, but now that we're serving it at the Hinds Head, our new pub venture, I've done more research into this wonderful pudding. As you probably know, Eton Mess is usually made...
The appliance of science - Microwave magic
January 29 2005
I wrote recently about the course on the Science of Cooking that the Royal Society of Chemistry is putting together for schools. One area the course will cover is that great piece of domestic kitchen technology, the microwave.
The appliance of science - A quiver of excitement
January 22 2005
Our collaboration with the food historians at Hampton Court has yielded it first result, quaking pudding, which will go on the menu at the Hind's Head, Bray. It's based on a historic recipe, but the trouble with so many such recipes is that they are so...
The appliance of science - Harold McGee
January 15 2005
I recently received a copy of McGee On Food & Cooking (Hodder, £30). The subtitle is An Encyclopedia Of Kitchen Science, History And Culture, which says it all, really. This rewritten edition of Harold McGee's classic has been 20 years in the ...
The appliance of science - In a class of its
own
January 08 2005
A lot of exciting things happened for us at the Fat Duck in 2004, but this year is shaping up to be even more exciting. Near the top of the list for me is the fact that the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) has created a new science module for use in schools. It's optional, but every school in the country can use it. It's due to be launched in the spring and it's called Kitchen Chemistry.
The Appliance of Science - Alternative festive
pudding
January 01 2005
Can you handle yet another pudding? I hope so, because I've got just the thing - salted butter caramel. It's a kind of a fudge, but smoother and chewier without being sticky, and has a wonderfully nutty, buttery flavour.
The appliance of science - Let's talk turkey
December 11 2004
According to talk in the media recently, up to 70% of our Christmas turkeys will carry salmonella and/or campylobacter, so there'll be a lot of upset tummies around unless we cook the bird properly. And I don't mean roasting it until all the juices and...
The appliance of science - 16 and in the kitchen
November 27 2004
In fact, I was 17 when I went to work in the kitchens of Raymond Blanc's Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons. I was there for only a month, but I still remember what a shock to my system it was. I simply hadn't realised what really went on in big professional...
The appliance of science - Melting point
November 20 2004
With the help of a grant from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, we will soon take on a PhD student, to be based at the University of Nottingham, to help with several projects we've been toying with at the Fat Duck. In particular
The appliance of science - Taste sensation
November 13 2004
The trip to Colonnata that I wrote about last week was a real eye-opener - and a flavour-opener, too, come to that. But it didn't quite prepare me for the second part of my Italian adventure, the Salone del Gusto in Turin. Literally, Rooms Of Taste...
The appliance of science - The fat of the land
November 06 2004
I recently saw the appliance of a science that must be nearly as old as the mountains in which the delicious lardo di Colonnata is made. It was a surreal experience: Colonnata is a tiny village up in the Tuscan hills where Carrara marble comes from, and...
The appliance of science - Potted history
October 30 2004
Last week, I wrote about the kind of food that I want to serve at the Hind's Head, the pub we've taken over in Bray - nothing fancy, just good plain food, properly cooked. To give you some idea of what I mean by good, plain food, I thought I'd give a ...
The appliance of science - Inn for a penny...
October 23 2004
The Fat Duck's going to do be doing pub grub soon. Well, in a manner of speaking: we have just taken over the Hind's Head, more or less next door to us in Bray. I have firm ideas about pubs, having spent a good deal of time in them before I got involved...
The appliance of science - Home-made Aero
October 16 2004
Chefs are practical people. They have to be - machinery in kitchens is always breaking down or not working as it should. But food has to be prepared and dishes organised, so we become ace at adapting machines to do jobs they weren't designed for.
The appliance of science - Up in smoke
October 09 2004
The more I look into cooking of the past, the more I come to the conclusion that there aren't many really new ideas. The syllabub in last week's column was actually an early example of a foam - one of the bright modern ideas you find in many of the best ...
The appliance of science - Foam sweet foam
October 02 2004
There is a bit of confusion over its origins, though. Some food historians have a theory I rather like, which is that the original syllabubs were made by milking a cow directly into a bowl of sweet cider or ale and drinking it there and then. The cow's ...
The appliance of science - Cones revisited
September 25 2004
The other week I mentioned the Great Ice Cream Cone Debate, in which a newspaper columnist took issue with an American claim that the edible ice cream cone made its appearance at the 1904 World Fair in St Louis. He was quite right to do so: according to ...
The appliance of science - Bird-brained?
September 18 2004
I have been accused of wackiness for some of the food we serve at the Fat Duck, but our dishes are plain ordinary compared with some chefs' inventions of earlier times. Remember the nursery rhyme about four-and-20 blackbirds baked in a pie? Well, one of...
The appliance of science - The acid test
September 11 2004
It is widely accepted in the world of taste tests, or sensory analysis, or whatever you like to call them, that acidity increases the flow of saliva. Umami, for example, will produce a moderate flow of saliva (more than, say, sugar), but, generally speak...
The appliance of science - Sweet sensation
September 04 2004
Some time ago, we came up with the idea of frying potato chips in syrup (although, technically, it wouldn't be frying because there'd be no fat involved). The theory was that if we could get the temperature of the syrup to above, say, 150C, the chips
The appliance of science - Hampton Court
August 28 2004
People sometimes ask me where I get my ideas from. The answer is, 'All over the place' - sometimes where I might least expect to find them. I've recently become involved in the work a group of historians is carrying out at Hampton Court.
The appliance of science - Snow cream
August 21 2004
Robin Weir has to be the most knowledgeable ice cream fanatic that I have come across. His house in London is dedicated to the study of the subject, crammed with every conceivable device and shelves of literature regarding everything from ice cream ...
The appliance of science - A breath of fresh
air
July 31 2004
People often accuse me of being a bit wacky when it comes to cooking and technology, but honestly, sometimes I'm not at all sure that there really are any new ideas. I mean, get a load of the following:
The appliance of science - In the best possible
taste...
July 17 2004
When we taste food, most of us don't stop to think about it much. 'Oh, that's yummy' or 'I don't like that' is probably as far as it goes in most cases. In fact, the process is far more complex.
The appliance of science - A new leaf
July 03 2004
I was playing around with my new computer package at home the other day. It's called TNO, and it lists around 7,000 flavour compounds and cross-references them with the foods in which they occur. Some compounds crop up in more than 70 foods, which is no...
The appliance of science - Reaction shots
June 26 2004
One of the odd facts about a chef's life is that we don't often get the opportunity to see how you lot, our customers, actually react to what we have been cooking.
The appliance of science - Scanning
June 19 2004
I recently spent a couple of days at a seminar on molecular gastronomy in Erice, Sicily. If that sounds a bit weird, I should add that it took place in a monastery at the top of a mountain, which we molecular gastronauts shared with another collection of...
The appliance of science - Pass the salt
June 12 2004
The technique of brining is as old as the hills - well, as old as the practice of using salt as a preservative, anyway. At the Fat Duck, we have for some time been using it to treat ducks' legs before confiting them. It makes use of the principle of ...
The appliance of science - How very English
...
June 05 2004
As I write this, a team from the Fat Duck is helping to prepare a dinner in Barcelona as part of a celebration called Stravaganza Mediterranea. I won't go into the details of what we are cooking, but the organisers have asked us to devise a cocktail to...
The appliance of science - Suck it and see
May 29 2004
You know all those valuable juices that come out of meat when you're cooking it at a higher temperature, and that get caught in the pan? I've written about them often before, but here's a brief recap: this reaction is caused by the natural liquids in the...
The appliance of science - Making their minds
up
May 22 2004
Eating fads among children seem to be increasingly common - won't eat this, can't eat that, don't eat the other. As a parent, I think we have to be very careful not to pass on our own likes and dislikes to our kids (I've come across children who won't ...
The appliance of science - Go nuts
May 15 2004
Benzaldehyde sounds like one of the exotic poisons that Sherlock Holmes was such a dab hand at identifying in the Conan Doyle stories, rather than a molecule responsible for some of the most distinctive flavours in food.
The appliance of science - Young at heart
May 08 2004
Being the father of three children, I have thought long and hard about getting them involved in cooking and eating. From my own experience, if you can make children relaxed around food, they are more likely to enjoy the whole process of eating.
The appliance of science - In the mood
May 01 2004
Not all my research takes place in the privacy of the Fat Duck kitchen. On June 9, with the help of food pharmacologist Paul Clayton, food scientist Helen Conn and psychologists Keith Wesnes and Charles Spence, I will be carrying out a very public ...
The appliance of science - Pure and simple
April 24 2004
One of my favourite green vegetables is broccoli. My kids love it, too. Unfortunately, however, most of the time cooks - both domestic and professional - really fail to do justice to this wonderful vegetable.
The appliance of science - Monster mash
April 17 2004
Here's a brilliant technique that produces restaurant-quality mashed potato. It takes a bit of concentration, but you can make it in advance, even a day or two before, and is guaranteed not to turn into wallpaper paste.
The appliance of science - The bitter end
April 10 2004
It has long been an accepted part of kitchen lore that if you want to reduce or counteract bitterness in a dish, you add something sweet, such as sugar or honey. Now, what I'm about to say may seem rather odd, but salt is, in fact, far more efficient than...
The appliance of science - The low-down
March 20 2004
Some people get nervous about low-temperature cooking, which, as I wrote last week, can make so much difference to the texture and flavour of meat. Given the number of food-poisoning cases, this is not surprising. But as long as you stick to a few basic...
The appliance of science - How low can you go
March 13 2004
Applying what I call the General Theory of Low Temperature Cooking requires patience as well as accurate meat and oven thermometers. But the ends justify the time, believe you me. The reason is that, with any meat, collagen plays a vital part in the ...
The appliance of science - Hang on a minute
March 06 2004
Jeffrey Steingarten, one of America's leading food writers and known as the man who ate everything (not least because of his book of the same name), once told me that the best piece of beef he had ever eaten had been hung for 90 days. It had been cooked...
The appliance of science - Zap happy
February 28 2004
After the pressure cooker and the deep-fat fryer, this week it is the turn of the microwave for the molecular gastronomy makeover. Why? Well, this particular kitchen appliance provided the solution to what I came to know as 'the great fennel problem'.
The appliance of science - The crunch factor
February 21 2004
Pringles may not seem the obvious key ingredient in a serious scientific investigation, but a few months ago Professor Charles Spence, head of the experimental psychology department at Oxford University, and I carried out an experiment to see if sound...
The appliance of science - Frying tonight
February 14 2004
Last week, I wrote about that piece of state-of-the-art technology, the pressure cooker, and how good it is for making stocks. Today, I'd like to unveil another technological breakthrough in stock-making: the deep fat fryer.
The appliance of science - Relieve the pressure
February 07 2004
OK, being awarded three Michelin stars at the Fat Duck is fantastic - a dream, really - but it's terrifying at the same time. So it's a relief to get back to the business of cooking. I'm a sucker for hi-tech kitchen tools (though readers of my recent...
Net gains
December 20 2003
With some stocks at an all-time low and worries about farming on the increase, fish is now a rather tricky ingredient. The good news, says Heston Blumenthal, is that we're slowly rediscovering species that we've ignored for too long
Golden globe
December 13 2003
f there's one fruit that epitomises winter, it's the orange. In looks, it adds a touch of much-needed brightness to cold, grey days. And in flavour, says Heston Blumenthal, it brings a freshness and sparkle to all manner of dishes
Chill out
December 06 2003
Why is it that, when the first spring and summer vegetables hit the shelves, professional and domestic cooks alike rejoice, yet when the winter crop arrives there's no such fanfare? Heston Blumenthal sets the record straight
The great all rounder
November 22 2003
Couscous, the staple of north African cookery, is one of those wonderful ingredients that seems to have no end of uses - and it works equally well in savoury and sweet dishes. No wonder Heston Blumenthal loves it so much
The twist in the tail
November 15 2003
Stew is one of the great staples of the British kitchen and for good reason - it's straightforward to make, homely and perfect for a winter's day. Even better, it's one of those rare dishes for which only a cheap cut of meat will do
Shell shock
November 08 2003
We're never equivocal about snails as a foodstuff: they're either a gastronomic delight or vile and rubbery. But the bad press has more to do with our preconceptions than with what they actually taste like, says Heston Blumenthal
Game on
October 25 2003
Once, venison was the grandest of grand meats. But its place was taken by other game, which is a shame, says Heston Blumenthal. High in nutritional value and flavour, and low in fat, it really ought to be a star of modern cookery
We have blast off!
October 18 2003
Most top chefs would probably scoff at the idea of cooking in a microwave. But Heston Blumenthal is not among them. For one thing, it's a pretty handy kitchen tool. And for another, we haven't yet got close to tapping its potential
Fire away
September 27 2003
In recent years, the blowtorch has made its way out of the tool kit and into the kitchen utensil drawer. But how, and why, should you use one? Heston Blumenthal explains all, but says be careful - you don't want to burn the house down!
Taste not, want not
September 20 2003
Certain combinations have startling results. Salt, say, enhances the natural sweetness of cauliflower. How it does this is open to question - even Heston Blumenthal doesn't know, but he's more than happy just to enjoy the effect
If the cap fits
September 13 2003
It's time the mushroom hall of fame did the right thing and opened its doors to the humble button, says Heston Blumenthal. All too often shunned in favour of its fancier friends the cep and the morel, nothing can beat the amazing aromas that emerge from within those tightly closed lids of pristine white
The acid test
August 16, 2003
Think British summer and chances are the first food that'll spring to mind will be strawberries. But what about the raspberry? For one thing, says Heston Blumenthal, it's far more versatile - and, if anything, it tastes better, too
It takes all sorts
August 9, 2003
Liquorice is one of those foods that divides opinion. Even Heston Blumenthal can't quite make up his mind whether or not he really likes it. But one thing he does know is that it has culinary uses few of us will ever have thought of
Gee whisk
July 12 2003
There may be complex scientific explanations behind the creation of emulsions such as mayonnaise and custard, says Heston Blumenthal, but all you really need to make them properly is some patience and a strong mixing arm
Mimi marvels
July 5, 2003
Lentils are true all-rounders, says Heston Blumenthal, as at home in the most rustic of dishes as they are on the most lauded of restaurant menus. And, of course, they are incredibly good for you, too. Who could ask for more?
No messing
June 28, 2003
Heston Blumenthal loves experimenting with ingredients - after all, how else will you know if something's going to work unless you try it? But even he admits that there are certain recipes that really should be left well alone
Set the world on fire
June 7, 2003
When you see those chefs on the telly setting light to alcohol in their pans, you could be forgiven for thinking they were just showing off. But, says Heston Blumenthal, flaming really does have a purpose. As long as you know when to do it
Mane course
June 06 2003
Horsemeat has been found in imported salami. So what, says Heston Blumenthal. We'd be better off making a fuss about the bland convenience food we put up with
Heston Blumenthal easy
May 31, 2003
Believe it or not, some people seem to think our resident chef can be demanding, a tad technical maybe. But the fact is, if you don't know what makes things work, you won't be able to improvise. And anyway, he can play it simple, too
The secret ingredient
May 24, 2003
A birthday cake should always be memorable, and not just when you're a kid, either. So what better way to create a lasting impression, says Heston Blumenthal, than to come up with one that takes you completely by surprise?
It's crunch time!
April 12, 2003
For any cook, professional and domestic alike, the arrival of spring means one thing above all else - spankingly fresh vegetables. And that, says Heston Blumenthal, is a glory that positively cries out to be celebrated in style
It's a choux in
April 5, 2003
No wonder profiteroles are so popular, says Heston Blumenthal. After all, fluffy pastry balls filled with something sweet is a marriage made in heaven. What's more, you don't have to go to a lot of trouble - not unless you really want to.
Gaga for Aga
March 29, 2003
When Heston Blumenthal clapped eyes on the Aga in the holiday house, he was dazzled by its size and beauty. But then he started cooking on this classic piece of culinary hardware, and soon found that it had a mind of its own
Make ends meat
March 15, 2003
Spag bol is a British institution, but it bears little, if any, resemblance to traditional Italian fare. Still, as long as it tastes great, what is so wrong with playing around with the classic ingredients just a little bit? By Heston Blumenthal
Flour power
March 8, 2003
Pastry is one of the cornerstones of our cooking culture, so why do we think it such a difficult art to master? There is no great secret, really, says Heston Blumenthal. Follow just a few simple rules, and you'll be guaranteed success
Golden Wonder
March 1, 2003
Lemon tart is one of the all-time classic puddings - sharp, sweet and livened up by a citrus zing. The only thing you have to worry about is whether to make it with a custard filling or a buttery one. Heston Blumenthal tries both.
Hang on in there
February 15, 2003
Hanging meat develops tenderness and flavour. But how much of the joints and cuts we buy these days have been properly aged? Far too little, says Heston Blumenthal. Thankfully, we can take steps to rectify the oversight.
Memory is everything?
February 8, 2003
Whenever we eat, the poor brain has a fair amount of work to do just to process the data and then let us know if we like a particular food. What makes that food acceptable or otherwise is a complicated issue, because it raises so many emotions and memories, and may even call into question firm beliefs.
Mind over matter
February 1, 2003
It is not just taste that determines whether we like a particular ingredient or dish. All of the senses play a part, as does memory. But play around with those influences and you can override all preconceptions, says Heston Blumenthal.
Practice makes perfect
January 18, 2003
High-class restaurant cooking requires a very different discipline from cooking in the home, says Heston Blumenthal. But if you've got the will and the time, there's no reason why you can't reproduce Michelin-starred grub in your own kitchen