Kitchen Secrets

by Raymond Blanc

Raymond Blanc is revered as a culinary legend, whose love of delicious food is lifelong. Years of experience have given him a rich store of knowledge and the skill to create fantastic dishes that work time after time. With a range of achievable and inspirational recipes for cooks of all abilities, Kitchen Secrets is all about bringing Gallic passion and precision into the home kitchen. Raymond has done all the hard work, refining recipes over months and even years until they are quite perfect. Every recipe includes explanations and hints to ensure that your results are consistently brilliant. Dishes that once seemed plain, or impossibly complex, suddenly become simple and elegant; the book's sixteen chapters include classics like watercress soup, chicory and Roquefort salad, cep ravioli, greengage cassoulet, chicken liver parfait, confit salmon, moules marnière, grilled dover sole, home cured ham, pot au feu, lambs liver persillade, roast wild duck, lamb cutlets, galette des Rois, cherry clafoutis and Maman Blanc's own chocolate mousse. With more than 100 recipes from both series of Kitchen Secrets , this is guaranteed to be a must-have for anybody with a love of French cuisine and finesse.

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

320 pages, ebook

Published December 15, 2016

About the author

Raymond Blanc is a celebrity chef from Rural Franche-Comté, France, who runs a chain of restaurants in the UK, several of which have received Michelin stars. His ingenuity, passion and French Charm have also landed him several noteworthy series on the BBC.

Reviews

[Martijn van Duivenboden · Rating 4 out of 5]

English review below

Raymond Blanc's Kitchen Secrets is een prachtig boek voor liefhebbers van de klassieke Franse keuken. Het biedt een indrukwekkende verzameling recepten die niet alleen rijk aan smaak zijn, maar ook Blanc's diepgaande kennis en passie voor de Franse culinaire traditie weerspiegelen. Elk gerecht is zorgvuldig samengesteld en laat zien hoe je met zorgvuldig geselecteerde ingrediënten en technieken verfijnde maaltijden kunt bereiden.

Hoewel de recepten prachtig zijn en de eindresultaten zeker de moeite waard zijn, vereisen ze vaak een zekere mate van keukenervaring en vaardigheden. Dit maakt het boek wellicht minder toegankelijk voor absolute beginners, maar voor de meer ervaren thuiskok biedt het een waardevolle en inspirerende uitdaging.

De gedetailleerde uitleg en tips van Blanc zijn een geweldige hulp bij het realiseren van de recepten, maar verwacht geen snelle of eenvoudige bereidingen. Kitchen Secrets nodigt uit tot experimenteren en verfijnen, wat de schoonheid van de Franse keuken benadrukt.

English version:

Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets is a wonderful book for enthusiasts of classic French cuisine. It offers an impressive collection of recipes that are not only rich in flavor but also reflect Blanc’s deep knowledge and passion for French culinary traditions. Each dish is carefully crafted, demonstrating how to create refined meals using carefully selected ingredients and techniques.

While the recipes are beautifully presented and the results are definitely worth the effort, they often require a certain level of kitchen experience and skill. This might make the book less accessible to complete beginners, but for the more experienced home cook, it presents a valuable and inspiring challenge.

Blanc’s detailed explanations and tips are incredibly helpful for executing the recipes, but don’t expect quick or easy preparations. Kitchen Secrets encourages experimentation and refinement, highlighting the true beauty of French cuisine.

[Julie Thomason · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book very much, it has been on ,y list for ages. I liked the chapter titles, especially the one on vegetables charcuterie and apples. I enjoyed reading the into to each chapter and find the prepare ahead section very useful. I look forward to trying out the recipes. Not sure about the cover though everytime I went to read it I thought he was holding a mouse!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredibly special book because it has a very personal meaning to me. It is one of the books that has shaped my own story, my life. But I can’t rate it on that.

Well, I can but there’s no need to. It speaks for itself. Raymond Blanc is my favourite chef (and that’s saying something as there are many great chefs out there). Not only does he really know his stuff, his humble passion and drive sets him apart.

I always come back to Raymond for two things. First - he has the best method (that I’ve ever found) for cooking a rib of beef. It’s spectacular. Second - his Tarte Tatin recipe. I could tell you a very funny story about this latter recipe but I will spare you the details. Suffice to say it’s very difficult to get right the first time. But if anyone can teach you, it’s Raymond. He doesn’t care about your abilities, your background or your current knowledge - if you’ve got a passion for food then he’s there to teach you.

I could mention so many more recipes but those are the two that always make me think of Raymond Blanc. If you like cooking and want to learn, Raymond is a great place to start.

[Norma · Rating 5 out of 5]

( Format : Hardback )
Good enough to eat!

Raymond Blanc, owner of the hotel and restaurant in Oxfordshire, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, says that he is a self taught chef. This book is a pleasure to use, a full page picture of the finished dish opposite it's recipe, the book divided into less than usual sections such as mushrooms and game, chocolate, spices and chillies, eggs, tomatoes, summer fruits, Autumn and winter vegetables, plus others. Each recipe is given a simple star rating suggesting ease of making for the new or more adventurous cook, from 'Pollock fillet grenobloise, pomme puree', and 'Chicken morels and sherry wine sauce' (1 star), to 'Cafe creme in a chocolate cup' (yes, an actual cup made of chocolate -3 stars), via 'Apple tart Maman Blanc' (2 stars). It tasteless the tastebuds just to read.
Included are techniques perfected and secrets discovered in Blancs lifetime of cooking, clearly written and occasionally further illustrated with step by step photographs, as in how to build that chocolate cup. There is a glossary at the back as well, listing both equipment and cooking techniques.

All in all, a lovely book.
The food tastes good, too!

[Ruth Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raymond Blanc writes like a novelist! Have to admit I haven't cooked many of the dishes in this book, but love his no nonsense approach that still appreciates the beauty of simple but well cooked food with fresh ingredients. He cooks and writes from the heart.

[Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent cooking book, just the right balance between recipes which are fantastic but remain accessible to the mere mortal.