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(The) Perfect Ingredient: 5 Fantastic Ways to Cook Apples, Beets, Pork, Scallops, and More

by Bryn Williams

Book Description
Growing up around his family's farm in Denbigh in North Wales, Bryn learned to appreciate food and its origins from an early age, shooting and fishing with his father and uncle, and digging for potatoes for dinner. He realized how hard people had to work to produce food, and this notion influenced his cooking ever since. Bryn's philosophy is simple, buy the best quality meat, fish fruit and vegetables that you can and use them to their full potential. 'The Perfect Ingredient: 5 Brilliant Ways to Cook 20 Great Ingredients' is Bryn Williams' journey from the heart of Wales to his Primrose Hill restaurant Odette's in London, which not only takes readers into the celebrated chef's home kitchen but also showcases his passion for the land and the lost art of truly appreciating the ingredients with which one cooks.

'The Perfect Ingredient' revolves around 20 chapters, each featuring one of Bryn's favorite ingredients, which is then cooked five ways, ranging from simple to complex. Some of those chosen are based on the flavors of his childhood, including fresh salmon, Welsh lamb and beets picked straight off the land, while others are tastes he's discovered as a chef such as scallops and game. All of them have been picked for their taste, texture, and versatility; as Bryn is fond of saying, "The ingredient is the star."  Potatoes are transformed into Marjoram Gnocchi. Crab is served as a Brown Crab Custard. Chicken is turned into Chicken Liver Parfait. Sole is delicately fried into Lemon Sole Fish Fingers. Apples take on new life as sorbets, crumbles and granola bars. And the Chocolate Whisky Truffles take chocolate to new heights. With a focus on using different cuts and types of meat, there are also recipes for Mutton and Swede Pie, Braised Pork Cheeks with Ginger Carrots, and Bryn's signature dishes utilizing Oxtail and Turbot. Other chapters feature Cream, Baked Goods, Bread, and Preserves, with treats such as Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Poached Rhubarb & Ginger, heavenly Pistachio Cake, and Fig Marmalade.

Inspirational and innovative, the recipes in T'he Perfect Ingredient' reflect Bryn's exceptional talent and his connection to food. He encourages readers to explore unfamiliar foods, discover different ways to prepare favorite ingredients, and to master new cooking techniques.

About the Author:
Bryn Williams owns and runs his own restaurant, Odette's in London's Primrose Hill. Bryn's love for cooking began when he started working at his local bakery in Wales. He has since worked in some of the most prestigious kitchens in London, with some of the world's most stellar chefs. He began his career working under Marco Pierre White at The Criterion and then under Michel Roux Jr. at Le Gavroche. He was senior-sous chef at the Orrery for four years and then moved to open Galvin at Windows with Chris Galvin. In 2006 he was chosen to compete in the first series of the Great British Menu on BBC 1. Competing for Wales, Bryn triumphed with his fish course, which he went on to cook for the Queen's Birthday Banquet. He has since become a familiar face on Saturday Kitchen, Something for the Weekend and Market Kitchen, and continues to appear on Great British Menu, as well as numerous BBC Wales productions in his native language. He also appears at Taste and other high-profile food festivals.