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Heston Blumenthal

Nicolai

By Nicolai
in United Kingdom & Ireland: Dining

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Nicolai

Nicolai

Posted
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There seems to be a new TV program in the making as I bumped last week into Heston Blumenthal at lunch time in Katz's Deli in New York.

He was accompanied with four cameras and all the paraphernalia and was having a lunch interview there.

Hummm, let's see, so whats coming up on the menu:

- Pastrami Ice Cream?

- Corned Beef poached with peanut butter?

- Salami Sorbet?

Remember, you read it here first!

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grahamR

grahamR

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I’ve only ever seen HB present on Full on Food. His slot always reminded me of the guests telling jokes from Countdown’s dictionary coroner. Whoever that guy with the scruffy hair and pyjama top shirts was he pretty much destroyed every item he was in by not knowing how to respond to his guests.

Anyhoo, maybe HB with a director and a bit of editing might be not awful? I mean Ainsley Harriot has had how many shows?? Ooo! Ooo! AH & HB now there's a match made in TV heaven... :wink:

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Human Bean

Human Bean

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The series focuses on eight classic dishes - Fish and Chips, Bangers and Mash, Spag Bol, Risotto, Roast Beef, Steak and Salad, Pizza and Treacle Tart and Ice Cream

Right, well I suppose he's saving beans on toast and bubble and squeak for the next series then.

I'm giddy with anticipation.

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alexw

alexw

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Anyhoo, maybe HB with a director and a bit of editing might be not awful? I mean Ainsley Harriot has had how many shows??  Ooo! Ooo! AH & HB now there's a match made in TV heaven... :wink:

AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!

at least Heston can cook, sure he must use fairy too.

after all these years in a kitchen, I would have thought it would become 'just a job'

but not so, spending my time playing not working

www.e-senses.co.uk

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grahamR

grahamR

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…It’s going to be great, with Sophie Sodium Alginate, Percy Pollen and Dolly Dry-Ice ahoy!...

Seriously though: I find HB’s techniques interesting. Even if a lot of it isn’t the sort of thing you’re likely to do at home. Snail porridge is fabulously tasty, but it will be a sunny weekend in Dundee before I’d consider making it myself.

The mention of Molecular Gastronomy is enough to get some people’s blood to exert one atmosphere of pressure. As I see it the case for MG gets as overstated as the case against.

Classical cookery is full of “rules” which are merely rituals, or poor models of the process that is taking place. I’m not sure I know any professional chefs who put a matchstick into the pan with a boiled egg, but I’ve heard plenty talk about “sealing in the flavour of a steak”. Having a better model of the process gives you a more precise intellectual framework to manipulate the process.

The results of that are producing different results to the couple of hundred years worth of trail, error and instinct of classical cookery. I am sure MG relies on a great deal of instinct too and perhaps the results are not always better, but they should be of interest to anyone with an interest in food: no mater your view on purist MG.

HB has already published some of the recipes in the series. I’ve eaten the triple cooked chips at the Hind’s Head, they are top notch. I’ve followed his risotto rules from Family Food and prepared the cauliflower volute version from the recipe in The Guardian: it’s lovely, and grating raw cauli on the top is a superb idea.

For the rest I will be interested to see what he has to say. I’ve never yet considered trying low temperature cookery – maybe the show will make it a tempting idea?

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Dirk Wheelan

Dirk Wheelan

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What do you think Dirk?

Since you ask, I think that MG responds to a straw man. The implication that every chef was doing everything wrong previous to Heston's green bean conversion is unproven, and to anyone who ate out pre-2000, clearly untrue. Consequently, I find the claim that practitioners of MG somehow monopolize 'perfection' irritating. Indeed, the closest Heston can get to perfection is the precise realization of a dish of his own conception. In other words, snail porridge is perfect when it conforms exactly to what Heston intended when he conceived the dish. I think the fallacy is clear in this example, that Heston is setting himself up as the arbiter of perfection. Pity the 'friend' who invited Heston to Dinner.

On the other hand, I suspect the show might be quite interesting despite the MG nonsense.

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camp_dick

camp_dick

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Cheers. HB's method seems pretty conventional, compared to Gordon Ramsay in The Times who (to spare you the trouble of vivisting the link) says: ' Risottos normally need lots of last-minute stirring, but not if you boil the rice beforehand, quickly cool it and refrigerate it until required. You can then finish it off with a couple of ladlefuls of stock as your guests enjoy a glass of wine.' There's classy :hmmm:

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nimzo

nimzo

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Firstly, can we all remind ourselves that the BBC does not comission food shows purely for the benefit of the highly skilled egullet audience but for the general public who may well enjoy seeing some of the basics explained and done differently. Perfect example is my mum who is drooling at the thought of the treacle tart ( swears HB's is the best she has ever had) and really wants some ideas on risotto.

Secondly, those that have tasted HB's more homely items will have few doubts that he really does know how to do the basics well. I consider myself to be a pretty decent home cook and have worked in a few top end restaurants but would still appreciate another viewpoint on something as basic as roast beef.

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