Product Description

The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating is a certified "foodie" classic. In it, Fergus Henderson -- whose London restaurant, St. John, is a world-renowned destination for people who love to eat "on the wild side" -- presents the recipes that have marked him out as one of the most innovative, yet traditional, chefs. Here are recipes that hark back to a strong rural tradition of delicious thrift, and that literally represent Henderson's motto, "Nose to Tail Eating" -- be they Pig's Trotter Stuffed with Potato, Rabbit Wrapped in Fennel and Bacon, or his signature dish of Roast Bone Marrow and Parsley Salad. For those of a less carnivorous bent, there are also splendid dishes such as Deviled Crab; Smoked Haddock, Mustard, and Saffron; Green Beans, Shallots, Garlic, and Anchovies; and to keep the sweetest tooth happy, there are gloriously satisfying puddings, notably the St. John Eccles Cakes, and a very nearly perfect Chocolate Ice Cream.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9515 in Books
• Published on: 2004-03
• Released on: 2004-03-30
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

From Publishers Weekly
An audacious chef whose St. John restaurant in London draws legions of fans, Henderson is a staunch proponent of using virtually the entirety of any plant or animal being served up. Harking back to the days when very little went to waste, he practices what he preaches with such victuals as Rolled Pig's Spleen, Duck's Neck Terrine and Roast Woodcock, which is cooked with innards and head intact, the latter providing a bit of "delicious brains." Henderson recommends the use of a disposable Bic razor for depilating the primary ingredient in Crispy Pig Tails. And then there's Warm Pig's Head, which extreme chef Anthony Bourdain describes in his introduction as "so Goddamn amazing that it borders on religious epiphany." Here, too, are four recipes for lamb's brains, a commodity that Henderson admits is illegal in both the U.S. and England. Home chefs will encounter difficulties in obtaining other ingredients as well. Blood Cake and Fried Eggs calls for a quart of fresh pig's blood, and Soft Roes on Toast requires delicate white sacs of herring semen. Sprinkled among these challenging dishes, however, are more accessible fare: Kid and Fennel, Mussels Grilled on a Barbecue, and Radishes to Accompany Duck or Goose, wherein both the radish and its leaves are added to the bird's jus. Desserts include Treacle Tart and Carragheen Pudding made with red seaweed.
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About the Author

Fergus Henderson trained as an architect before becoming a chef, opening the French House Dining Room in 1992 and St. John in 1995, which has won numerous awards and accolades, including Best British and Best Overall London Restaurant at the 2001 MoËt & Chandon Restaurant Awards. The Whole Beast won the 2000 Andre Simon Award.

Customer Reviews

Intriguing, Simple, Elegant
A delightfully intriguing, simple, and elegant collection of recipes and techniques. Unlike some of the reviewers, I see little or no problems getting the ingredients or reasonable substitutions. Pig's head, tripe, tongue, etc just go to a Mexican or Asian market. I may not be able to get rocket but I know I can get nasturtium leaves and flowers (also peppery greens) from my backyard. Most of the shock seems to come from the ingredients we all used to eat, and may still eat if you have had ground meat products. Honestly where do you think it all comes from? Ninety percent of these recopies can easily be made without any searching for ingredients. Most of the rest need a little bit of searching, pre- planning or pre-orders from a meat or fish market...or even a good counter at your neighborhood grocery store will do special orders with a down payment of some kind. Having been part of a group that does historical medieval reenactments (yes SCA) I can tell you even in this day in age you can get much of this stuff easily. There are no true exotics in here. If you don't have exactly what the recipe says any search of internet cooking sites can give you substitution charts and http://www.foodsubs.com/ is a personal favorite. Live a little. Try something more like what we ate when we had to use ALL the animal, because we couldn't afford to waste anything...and you might find it tastes not only good, but better than the more commonly found fare in your supermarket prepackaged, precut, preped foods and meats section.

what I wanted
If you want to get back to real food this is for you

Great book
This is a great book for all cooks and foodies no matter if you are a pro or a novice i highly recommend its reading. It is mostly reading however not much illustration but all the same good.