BOOK REVIEW

“Essential” by Ollie Dabbous. Photography by Joakim Blockstrom. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2021. 320 pages, $35 (Hardcover), $24.50 (eBook).

Ollie Dabbous is co-founder and executive chef of Hide restaurant in Piccadilly, which was awarded a Michelin star within six months of opening, and former chef-owner of the Michelin-starred restaurant Dabbous. He was born in Kuwait and went to school in England. In the “About the Author” section, he says: “Eating should bring joy above all else. Aside from technical ability, resilience and palate, what is most important as a chef is to know what you like and what you don’t and to find a clear style of cooking to express that. … I want to help you to create something delicious and nourishing for your loved ones, something you will feel proud to serve. Hopefully this cookbook will be around long after I have hung up my apron.”

The author says all of these recipes are meant to serve four people and he recommends always reading all the way through a recipe before beginning to follow it. He divides his book into 10 main sections: Grains, Dairy & Eggs, Vegetables, Leaves, Shellfish, Fish, Meat, Fruit & Berries, Sugar & Honey, and Larder.

In the first of these, readers will find recipes for dishes such as Coconut Milk & Palm Sugar Porridge, Barley Risotto with Summer Vegetables, and Brown Rice Pudding, Honey, Dried Fruit & Cinnamon. Included in the Dairy & Eggs section is a beautiful Tartiflette, a French mountain dish of potatoes with bacon, onions, cream, and Reblochon cheese. Dabbous recommends taking a long walk before that meal because after eating it “you’ll be asleep within minutes of your last mouthful.”

In commenting on the Vegetables section, the author says that some benefit from a quick burst of heat, while others “need to be cooked low and slow to show their best.” Some of the more interesting recipes that follow include Cauliflower Couscous, Grilled Shiitake, Dandelion & Panchetta, Iced Watermelon Gazpacho, Carrot Tartare with Sunflower Seeds, Mustard & Tarragon, and Crisp Coleslaw with Caraway. In the Leaves section an outstanding summer dish is Candy Beetroot, Raspberries, Feta & Almonds. About this recipe, Dabbous says: “Like any good salad, this is full of counterpoints: simultaneously soft and crisp, sweet and salty.” To serve a similar salad in autumn he suggests using regular beetroot, tarragon, hazelnuts and blackberries. Recipes in the Shellfish section include Grilled Scallops, Crushed Peas & Mint and a mouth-watering Lobster Thermidor Macaroni Cheese.

In his introduction to Fish, the author says salmon is fantastic served raw and his One-Hour Cured Salmon recipe is perfect “for converting people who think they don’t like raw fish.” Other recipes in this section include Seared Tuna, Crushed Avocado & a Toasted Sesame Dressing, Steamed Lemon Sole, Crab Mayonnaise, Courgette & Capers, and a yummy-looking Braised Turbot with Lemon Verbena.

When introducing the Meat section the author emphasizes the need to “rest” meat after it comes out of the oven so that it becomes more tender before serving. He says that a steak needs about 10 minutes, but that a large rib of beef or a whole roast chicken needs closer to an hour. Particularly appetizing recipes in this section include Cold Roast Beef on Toast, Warm Horseradish Buttermilk, Crispy Chicken Wings with Smoked Paprika, Glazed Pork Ribs with Sage & Chilli, and Cottage Pie with Red Wine and Smoked Bacon.

In the Fruit & Berries section we find, among others, recipes for Rhubarb, Rose Water & Poppy Seed Crumble, Sweet Potato Cake, Charred Pink Grapefruit, Honey & Ricotta, and Prune, Apple & Nutmeg Clafoutis. In his discussion of Sugar & Honey, Dabbous suggests that baking is a great way to get kids interested in cooking because “messing about in the kitchen with sweet things is potentially less hazardous for small hands.” He says that he started at age six with profiteroles. In this section some recipes that stand out include Freshly Baked Madeleines, Chantilly Cream, Fresh Ricotta with Apples, Hazelnuts, Lemon Thyme, Honey & Virgin Rapeseed Oil, White Miso Treacle Tart, Fennel Seed Crème Fraiche, and Vanilla Cheesecake.

In his last chapter, Dabbous says larders have become a thing of the past, but that the concept of a larder remains essential to the home cook, especially on those days when you don’t have anything in the house and don’t want to go shopping: you need to be creative and think on your feet. He says that marinades, pickles and chutneys can be made in bulk and stored for a long time. Some of the flavorsome preparations he recommends having on hand in your larder include Lemon Dressing, Pickled Onions, Pink Grapefruit, Jasmine & Olive Oil Marmalade, and Pickled Quince.

The book is illustrated throughout by marvelous color plates of various dishes that look very appetizing. The author also includes an Index and a section on Suppliers, but most of those mentioned are in the United Kingdom. It would have been helpful to revise that list to include suppliers in the United States and also to revise Celsius temperatures and metric system measures for the American edition. These issues are minor, however, and I recommend “Essential” as a lovely, interesting and useful cookbook that can bring numerous mouth-watering dishes within reach of any cook looking to add some tasty and attractive dishes to their home-cooked menu. In each section the author discusses things to consider in preparing the dish and also suggests alternative options for several recipes to adapt them to a different season or to other tastes. “Essential” would make an excellent gift for anyone who relishes fine food.

– Reviewed by Richard Weigel, Western Kentucky University History Department.