Doyen
Noun: doyen; plural noun: doyens Definition: the most respected or prominent person in a particular field.
I can think of no better word to describe Jeremy Lee, one of the best loved and most highly respected chefs in the business.
Jay Rayner described Lee as "one of those rare phenomena in the London food world: a chap everyone agrees is a good thing.
With a culinary CV, bursting like an overstuffed raviolo with experience and variety, he has been the head chef and voice of Quo Vadis in Soho since 2012. See his news and pictures on Instagram.
So when the publication of his first and eagerly anticipated cookery book, COOKING, Simply and Well, For One or For Many, finally arrived, there was joy throughout the land.
His innate love of ingredients and cooking is transparent – “good cooks always want to eat what they cook; no dish will appear on a menu if the chef doesn’t want to eat it” And we wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment that “….time spent in the kitchen is something to cherish and celebrate, a vital part of daily life, making us healthier and happier.”
The delightful eccentricity of the book’s format can only add to its appeal; the chapters are arranged in alphabetical order, so you will already have read about artichokes, ashets, biscuits, blood oranges, breadcrumbs, chard and chocolate before you alight on the page describing the best choice of kitchen equipment. And is here that we linger, because whilst pages 106 to 110 mostly, but not exclusively, describe generic kit, Netherton Foundry is name checked in the sections on baking sheets and skillets. We couldn’t be prouder.
And the recipe chapters are no more conventional either, with separate chapters for peas, pies and potatoes. And once again, we pause to blush over the photograph of golden Pommes Anna, baked in a prospector pan.
Photos by Elena Heatherwick. see more of her work on Instagram.
I’d bet that no-one is minded to argue with the opening sentence of Sweet Somethings. “There is always room for pudding…” and if you are inclined to dispute this, then I suggest you read the next four paragraphs and reconsider that decision.
As the seasons turn, this book will take us from the verdant summer green of the books cover to the burnished autumn of cover illustrations.
Food at its finest, with fondness rather than frippery and writing to simultaneously soothe and excite, this book is a treasure.
Cooking: Simply and Well, for One or Many: By Jeremy Lee Buy a copy of the book here
Jeremy used a Netherton Foundry 10 Inch prospector pan to bake this dish. Buy your own prospector pan here:
