Scottish

Tom Kerridge Cooks Britain by Tom Kerridge Cookbook Review

Tom Kerridge Cooks Britain Cookbook cover.

Tom Kerridge is surely a man who needs no introduction by now? For those of you who haven’t heard of him, he is the proprietor of several bars and restaurants including The Hand and Flowers (the first gastropub to receive 2 Michelin stars back in 2012) and The Coach (which secured its first Michelin star in 2018). His profile soared after appearing on Great British Menu in 2010 and has released cookbooks regularly ever since (including the bestselling Proper Pub Food, Outdoor Cooking and Pub Kitchen as well as more diet-friendly titles Tom Kerridge’s Dopamine Diet and Tom Kerridge’s Fresh Start inspired by his own weight-loss journey).

If you haven’t eaten in one of his establishments or cooked from one of his books, you have probably seen him on television (where he regularly pops up in M&S adverts, stars in his own cookery shows and documentaries, and judges on Great British Menu), tried one of his M&S meals, attended a Pub in the Park food festival, or come across his campaigns championing the hospitality industry or fighting child food poverty (through Full Time Meals).

This time, Kerridge has turned his attention to Britain, or rather, British ingredients, promising 100 recipes that celebrate the best of what this country has to offer.

What will I love?
If you are interested in learning more about British produce, and how to make the most of them in your kitchen, you will find plenty to enjoy here. There are over 100 recipes – divided into chapters of ‘Vegetables’, ‘Fish & Shellfish’, ‘Meat & Poultry’, ‘Dairy’ and ‘Fruit’ – designed to mirror the key areas that make up the backbone of the British farming industry. Options are varied, ranging from lighter dish like ‘Asparagus, Poached Egg and Hollandaise’ to a hearty ‘Family Beef Mince Pie’. The photos are beautiful too.

Is it good bedtime reading?
Yes. The introduction spans several pages, offering an enthusiastic (and very persuasive) argument for the importance of British farming. Each chapter then begins with a short introduction and the recipes also all have their own introductions explaining Kerridge’s inspiration and/or offering helpful hints.

Will I have trouble finding the ingredients?
Not at all. Although some recipes mention specific cheeses, there is nothing too obscure (more readily available alternatives are also given). There is a good balance in terms of affordability; while there are recipes for Tomahawk steak and other more expensive cuts of meat and fish, plenty of less extravagant ingredients are also featured.

How easy are the recipes to follow?
The recipes range in ability, but the instructions are always clear, giving advice on what to look out for and tips on how to make certain processes easier. It would be helpful if recipe timings were included at the top.

Stand-out recipes?
The ‘Leek and Caerphilly Rarebit’ is wonderfully comforting, while the ‘Chicken Kyiv Dippers’ are a delicious snack (or simply a fun alternative to a classic Kyiv). Don’t miss the ‘Bacon and Mushrooms Eggs Benedict’ for an umami-rich twist on the brunch favourite and even kale avoiders could be converted by the ‘Creamy Kale Pasta with Crispy Parmesan’.

How often will I cook from this book?
There is a range of recipes for every eating occasion throughout the year: ‘Asparagus Pecorino and Lemon Pasta’ in spring, a suitably summer-y ‘Yoghurt and Apricot Parfait with Almond Praline’, a cosy, comforting autumnal ‘Blackberry, Pear and Apple Crumble’, and a warming winter ‘Turnip Gratin with Lincolnshire Poacher’. However, there is a greater emphasis on dishes geared more towards spring/summer cooking and entertaining.

Any negatives?
There are some lovely options for vegetarians (or recipes that could easily be adapted), but not many choices for vegans. The pudding options could also be more diverse, perhaps a result of the emphasis n produce available in the UK.

Should I buy the book?
If you are keen to cook more seasonally with local British ingredients, this book is perfect for you. It also offers helpful inspiration to make everyday recipes a bit more special.

Cuisine: International cuisine using British ingredients
Suitable for: Cooks of all abilities.
Great for fans of: Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstall
Cookbook review rating: Four stars
Buy this book: Tom Kerridge Cooks Britain
£25.00, Bloomsbury

Tom Kerridge Cooks Britain aired on ITV in July 2024.

This review was written by Freelance Food Writer and Recipe Developer Sophie Knox Richmond. Follow her on Instagram on @sophie_kr_food.

Shetland by James and Tom Morton

What’s the USP? Father and son team explore life on a remote Scottish island ‘with food, drink and community at its heart’ through the medium of recipes, pictures and personal memoir and anecdote.

Who are the authors? You’ll probably know James Morton in his guise as Great British Bake off finalist. He is also the author of an extremely good book about brewing called Brew. He is also a doctor. His father Tom is a writer, journalist and broadcaster.

What does it look like? There are very few landscapes as dramatic as those found on the Scottish islands and Shetland (as Morton points out in his introduction, ‘It’s not, never has been and never is ‘The Shetlands’), the northern most point of the UK, is no exception. Photographer Andy Sewell captures it in all its rugged glory, as well as taking some charming portraits of the locals. The food looks as hearty and elemental as you might expect.

Is it good bedtime reading? In addition to the dozens of recipes, there are plenty of articles about life on the island, its food and feasts. Recipe introductions are extended and detailed and there is plenty of text given over to techniques such as cold smoking and pickling.

Will I have trouble finding ingredients? You might need to go online or to a health food shop to track down pinhead oatmeal, a butcher or online retailer for hare, mutton and, erm, piglets’s testicles, and a good fishmonger to get fresh seaweed, whelks, large scallops and live crabs. Additionally, unless you live there, Shetland black tatties and Shetland trout might be tricky to get hold of (but the recipe suggests fresh farmed salmon as an alternative).

What’s the faff factor? There is a fair amount of what you might call cooking ‘projects’ such as pickling and jam making, and you might consider building your own cold smoking chamber (although all you need is sturdy cardboard box and a few other bits and bobs from the DIY store) and curing and smoking your own Golden Syrup Bacon a faff, but recipes such as poached salmon or a simply roasted hare are quite straightforward.

How often will I cook from the book? This more an occasional book than everyday, for when you want to get stuck into a day’s cooking or want something a bit different and rustic.

Killer recipes? Fresh mackerel pate; oven bannocks; The apple pie, Jaffa cakes.

What will I love? It’s a great read, both father and son can really write and the whole thing is done with great good humour.

What won’t I like? Some of the recipes may seem recherché and you may not cook as often from this book as others in your collection.

Should I buy it? This is one for the serious foodie or Scottish food fanatic.

Cuisine: Scottish
Suitable for: Beginners and confident home cooks
Cookbook Review Rating: Three stars

Buy this book
Shetland: Cooking on the Edge of the World
£25, Quadrille

Tom Kitchin’s Fish and Shellfish

What’s the USP? A celebration of the fruits of the sea by one of Scotland and the UK’s best-known chefs and restaurateurs.

Who’s the author? Tom Kitchin worked for the very best in the business including Alain Ducasse and Pierre Koffman before opening The Kitchin in Leith in 2006 with wife Michaela. He quickly notched up a Michelin star and went on to open the highly rated Castle Terrace and Scran and Scallie gastropub, both in Edinburgh. Later this year he launches the Bonnie Badger pub with room in the village of Gullane on the East Lothian coast as well as Southside Scran gastrpub in the Bruntsfield area of Edinburgh. Kitchin’s cherubic features and curl mop of hair can regularly be seen on the BBC in shows such as Saturday Kitchen, Masterchef the Professionals and The Chef’s Protege.

What does it look like? This is Tom Kitchin, Michelin-star chef creating recipes for the home cook so expect slightly more relaxed food presentation than you might find at his signature restaurant. Each recipe is headed with a hand drawn illustration of the main seafood element by Nathan Shellard which is a very nice touch and there are a few photographic portraits of Kitchin, en famille doing various seaside related activities.

Is it great bedtime reading? It’s not exactly a gastronomic War and Peace, but the brief introduction is bolstered by a useful chapter on seafood cooking techniques and each of the 100 recipes has a breezy, upbeat introductory paragraph, many of which contain tasty nuggets of culinary wisdom.

Killer recipes? Octopus, mixed bean and black olive salad; squid and prawn stuffed courgette flowers; monkfish, salmon and scallop kebabs; roasted cod head with citrus dressing; smoked haddock and Mull cheddar souffles; clam and miso broth.

What will I love? Kitchin covers his subject well with a good range of fish and shellfish with chapters on crustaceans, molluscs, cephalopods, flat fish, white fish, oily fish and mixed seafood dishes. Although this is aimed primarily at the home cook, there are plenty of ‘cheffy’ dishes like scallop and chicory with Spiced Sauternes sauce to interest Kitchin’s fellow professionals.

What won’t I like? There could be more guidance on how to make sure you’re cooking with sustainable seafood and Kitchin tends to stick with the more mainstream varieties and swerves things like black bream, grey mullet and gurnard, all wonderful fish that any decent fishmonger should be able to sell you.

Should I buy it? Kitchin has entered a crowded market and set himself up against some big names, not least of which is Rick Stein who published his own book called Fish and Shellfish in 2014; Tom Aiken’s excellent Fish, and the lesser known but still wonderful Feast of Fish by Ian McAndrew. But as a fresh take on the subject for 2019, Tom Kitchin’s Fish and Shellfish is well worth investigating.

Cuisine: Scottish/seafood
Suitable for: Confident home cooks/professional chefs
Cookbook Review Rating: Three stars

Buy this book
Tom Kitchin’s Fish and Shellfish
£26 , Absolute Press