Bouchon

by Thomas Keller, Deborah Jones (Photographer)

James Beard Award Winner

IACP Award Winner

Thomas Keller, chef/proprieter of Napa Valley's French Laundry, is passionate about bistro cooking. He believes fervently that the real art of cooking lies in elevating to excellence the simplest ingredients; that bistro cooking embodies at once a culinary ethos of generosity, economy, and simplicity; that the techniques at its foundation are profound, and the recipes at its heart have a powerful ability to nourish and please.

So enamored is he of this older, more casual type of cooking that he opened the restaurant Bouchon, right next door to the French Laundry, so he could satisfy a craving for a perfectly made quiche, or a gratinéed onion soup, or a simple but irresistible roasted chicken. Now Bouchon, the cookbook, embodies this cuisine in all its sublime simplicity.

But let's begin at the real beginning. For Keller, great cooking is all about the virtue of process and attention to detail. Even in the humblest dish, the extra thought is evident, which is why this food tastes so The onions for the onion soup are caramelized for five hours; lamb cheeks are used for the navarin; basic but essential refinements every step of the way make for the cleanest flavors, the brightest vegetables, the perfect balance—whether of fat to acid for a vinaigrette, of egg to liquid for a custard, of salt to meat for a duck confit.

Because versatility as a cook is achieved through learning foundations, Keller and Bouchon executive chef Jeff Cerciello illuminate all the key points of technique along the how a two-inch ring makes for a perfect quiche; how to recognize the right hazelnut brown for a brown butter sauce; how far to caramelize sugar for different uses.

But learning and refinement aside—oh those recipes! Steamed mussels with saffron, bourride, trout grenobloise with its parsley, lemon, and croutons; steak frites, beef bourguignon, chicken in the pot—all exquisitely crafted. And those immortal the tarte Tatin, the chocolate mousse, the lemon tart, the profiteroles with chocolate sauce. In Bouchon, you get to experience them in impeccably realized form.

This is a book to cherish, with its alluring mix of recipes and the author's knowledge, warmth, and "I find this a hopeful time for the pig," says Keller about our yearning for the flavor that has been bred out of pork. So let your imagination transport you back to the burnished warmth of an old-fashioned French bistro, pull up a stool to the zinc bar or slide into a banquette, and treat yourself to truly great preparations that have not just withstood the vagaries of fashion, but have improved with time. Welcome to Bouchon.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Reference, Culinary, France

683 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 15, 2004

About the author

Thomas Keller is an American chef, restaurateur, and cookbook writer. He and his landmark Napa Valley restaurant, The French Laundry in Yountville, California, have won multiple awards from the James Beard Foundation, notably the Best California Chef in 1996, and the Best Chef in America in 1997. The restaurant is a perennial winner in the annual Restaurant Magazine list of the Top 50 Restaurants of the World.
In 2005, he was awarded the three star rating in the inaugural Michelin Guide for New York for his restaurant Per Se, and in 2006, he was awarded three stars in the inaugural Michelin Guide to the Bay Area for The French Laundry. He is the only American chef to have been awarded simultaneous three star Michelin ratings for two different restaurants.

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, Thomas Keller, you are amazing. After reading The French Laundry cookbook I just knew I had to get Bouchon too. Unlike TFL, these recipes seem completely attainable in your own kitchen without searching every specialty store in the state. Like TFL, the pictures and stories behind each recipe are amazing and worth picking up the book.

I've marked a few recipes to try, and I hope that they turn out half as well as anything Keller can put together.

[Marjorie Elwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an eloquently written (near as I can tell, by Michael Ruhlman), somewhat philosophical cookbook. While I would definitely like to eat the results from these recipes, I don't necessarily want to cook them, as they're a little too exacting and time-consuming for me. Fortunately, we can visit the Bouchon establishments instead. Includes an informative section on basic prep and recipes, such as garlic confit, quick preserved lemons, etc.

[Vladimir Semenov · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fine book on classic French bistro cuisine. A solid backbone for all cooks(home and professional) to have.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even if I were a competent cook (I'm not), this would remain a work of fantasy. But what a fantasy!

[Misha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thomas Keller's hefty cookbook reads as an easy textbook with recipes. The 7 Michelin star Chef explains culinary hows and whys in a conversational tone without being condescending. It was like reading a suspense thriller, I couldn't put it down and wanted to absorb as much information as possible. The same goes for Keller's the French Laundry, which I read years ago thanks to my executive chef at the time who said it was a "must read". I have to agree, and thanks to Keller my roast chicken has never been better. I highly recommend Bouchon for casual and professional cooks alike.

Since I read Keller's Bouchon cookbook in 2015, I have taken a few photos of Keller's restaurant French Laundry and had the pleasure of dining at Bouchon in Napa Valley. I'm overdue for another visit, gastronomically and literary-wise.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was home with a cold last week and read this and Keller's Ad Hoc. I've had both for a couple years, have learned and cooked in bits and pieces from both. This was my first time sitting down and going cover to cover. Even this book is theoretically the more formal and intimidating of the two, I actually enjoyed it more and flagged more recipes in it to cook. Both are very good, of course; he's the master and makes good cooking very attainable and easy to understand, despite his reputation for being exacting and fancy.

[Mary Cowley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Thomas Keller’s tenets of cooking- use the best ingredients, use simple, practiced techniques and cook by taste and smell. THEN practice same basic meal by swapping out some ingredients. It may be Bistro fare in his lexicon but I believe it’s how all good cooks become great cooks. This would be a great beginners cookbook for a new young cook.

[David Brinkman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thomas Keller’s books are not easy reads. However, they are written with intent and communicate excellence in procedure. Michael Rhulman does a fantastic job bringing these solid recipes to life. I recommend reading this one before the French laundry or Sous Vide.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet story and quick read. Loved all the poetry woven throughout.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What better to read during a pandemic than a cookbook.
Very insightful. Very well written. Great glimpse into bistro cook and Thomas Keller.

[Oralia Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful Cookbook. I’ve learned quite a few techniques from Thomas Keller’s cookbooks. Exquisite to browse through and worth the effort recipes.

[Dray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a collection from famous restaurant chef t keller. Most of the recipes are approachable and there is a lot of wisdom spinkled within.

[Anthony Bollato · Rating 4 out of 5]

recipes are easy to follow with good detail but really wish each recipe had a photo.

[Shane C · Rating 5 out of 5]

the book are definitely action packed!!

[Desiree-ann McKee · Rating 5 out of 5]

bought a signed copy, very excited! An amazing chef shows us his beautiful dishes and shares his recipes for exciting food. for the experienced chef who likes a challenge.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, Thomas Keller, you are amazing. After reading The French Laundry cookbook I just knew I had to get Bouchon too. Unlike TFL, these recipes seem completely attainable in your own kitchen without searching every specialty store in the state. Like TFL, the pictures and stories behind each recipe are amazing and worth picking up the book.

[Re-Nhat.Com · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have applied some of the recipes in this book to my blog: re-nhat.com

lò nướng tốt,

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a long time (two extensions at the library and some late fees, to be specific) to get through Bouchon. It isn't that it wasn't a good cook book--objectively, it's quite good. The pictures are lovely, the directions specific, the recipes top-notch. It's more that the recipes just weren't things I could produce in my kitchen. I wasn't excited to see what brilliant idea was on the next page because it would be....one more twelve-step stew with lamb shanks or some other kind of meat I'm not particularly keen on cooking (add the entire section on braised vegetables that aren't supposed to have any tooth to that). That, or it's 'occasion food'; not something I'd whip up for myself. I'm definitely curious about the salmon rillette but the chances of my thinking I'd whip it up for anything less than extravagance is slim. Four for solid work, two for usefulness brings us to my solid 3 stars.

[S. Tom Cebic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible resource for someone passionate about French food and interested in recreating it at home. The recipes can be time consuming but none are difficult, since Keller does a masterful job of breaking down the prep in a comprehensible way. This is still French food and it is a very different cuisine from Italian. Some of these dishes are supposed to take a long time and will show of your technique rather than simplicity of flavor.

My method was to start with the salads, then learn the side sauces in the appendix until i got a sense of his organization and then move on to the main courses. Many of the dressings and sauces can be used in a lot of different dishes. I've used the red wine vinaigrette, garlic confit and remoulade in many holiday dishes and gotten quite a few compliments.

Also, the mussels recipe, along with the garlic confit, makes the best mussels I've ever had.

Best

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am not a person who sits down and reads cookbooks. bouchon, however, is an exception. the photography is stunning, the content on the institution of the bistro is engaging, and the authors' love for this kind of food is evident everywhere. and the recipes are wonderful, although so far i have only tried the bibb lettuce salad, bouchon's house vinaigrette, and the lemon tart. their best feature is that they make it super clear where to take the special care - and especially the extra time - that makes even a simple dish an amazing one.

ps - you would *not* believe how much butter is in those chocolate bouchons.

pps - made me want to buy pot de creme molds.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know I'm just going to sound like a shill but I love Keller's books. His writing style, cooking philosophies, and mannerisms resonate with me. If I lived another life, I would love to be a professional chef and think that I would gravitate to Keller's cooking style as a professional.

Saying that, some of the recipes and food are things that I just wouldn't simply cook at home. As some of the other reviewers have noted, some of the methods are very time consuming and can be a bit more complex - the hours and hours of carmelizing onions, for example. I'm not saying that it isn't worth it, but it's not necessarily practical either. However, if I cooked full time...

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only one of Keller's cookbooks one can actually *cook* from at home, without being a crazy person. Yeah, the French Laundry is in fact all that, but you'll never cook anything at home like that. This stuff is plausible. Well written, beautifully illustrated, with recipes that perfectly capture what goes on in that marvelous restaurant. And it gives you a really good sense of the amazing amount of care and precision that Keller brings to his food, which goes a long way toward explaining how everything one eats at his restaurants is so exquisite.

[erik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bouchon approaches bistro fare with the over-the-top attention to detail and fussiness that Thomas Keller is famous for. In a way, this seems to be contrary to the point of a bistro, but the results are so fantastic that I never mind the extra work. The quiche lorraine, for example, will require you to get new tools (a 2" ring mold), and take 10 more steps than you normally would, but the quiche it produces will change your mind about what the dish should be. It's absolutely remarkable.

[Ginny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second of two Keller cookbooks I have - the first is French Laundry (where I would die to eat). I love french cooking and even better love eating in French bistros. The recipes are easier than French Laundry (which was good for me - even though I am pretty good in the kitchen). Bouchon was more my speed - with less time consuming recipes, emphasis on French bistro style food... Add it to your french cookbook shelf.

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I became a regular here while I lived in Yountville and worked at the Bakery for 9 wonderful months. Thanks Courts! :) When I crave eating there, I am thankful I can open up this book and cook something that brings me back, almost.

The gratins are wonderful! The vanilla bean ice cream is a little bit of work but worth it, the Bouchons are wonderful, so is the batter!! :) The steaks are wonderful, and on and on I go.. :)

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading The French Laundry Cookbook I wasn't quite sure if I could would enjoy the technical expertise espoused by Keller and demonstrated in that cookbook. I'm happy to say that Bouchon sounds like the place I would enjoy eating at more. Nice, homey, down to earth and delicious and much less intimidating than the other cookbook.

[Benjamin Little · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bouchon shows the side of Thomas Keller that French Laundry does not capture. Just as elegant as its counterpart, Bouchon gives a tome of lighter and more casual fare. The recipes and presentations in this book are perfect for developing your skill set, repertoire, and impressing your friends at parties.

[Serge Pierro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Thomas Keller book is certainly more accessible than his previous "The French Laundry Cookbook". There are plenty of interesting Bistro recipes, however, when one thinks of Thomas Keller, one thinks of cutting edge cooking, and that really isn't featured here - you'll have to peruse the aforementioned "French Laundry Cookbook" for that. Excellent photographs are featured throughout.

[Monika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply amazing, but some of these recipes are quite demanding. For example, the French Onion soup... carmelizing the onions for six hours? I'll tell you, it's totally worth it, but just know that this isn't a 30 minute meals type of tome.

[Jonny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the most useful cookbook i have but unlike the french laundry cookbook there are things in this book i like to cook. His emphasis on finesse is inspiring and it will make someone a better cook if they follow his instructions.