Author: Mark Hix
Photographs: by Jason Lowe
Price: £25
Published by: Quadrille Publishing Ltd
Tel: 0207 839 7117
The latest 192 page book by award-winning food writer and chef Mark Hix is a celebration of the food served in his acclaimed Oyster and Chop House restaurant. As is his trademark style, Hix pays special attention to British produce. Unsurprisingly there is a special feature dedicated to British oysters, but there is also a nice mix of recipes divided into the following categories – Bar, Starters, Salads, Soups, On Toast, Fish, Meat, Sides, Desserts which are very much in line with his menus.
There is a slight bias to fish and shellfish in this book, but Hix's also gives a fair nod to game dishes. You'll find recipes for Grouse Salad with Parsnip Crisps and Bramble Dressing, Wild Rabbit and Oyster Mushroom Soup and Wood Pigeon on Toast, plus a few others. There is also a helpful section on meat, including venison, with definitions and images of popular cuts and how to treat them.
Although the recipes are not complicated, some of the ingredients such as sea aster, puffball funghi, and wild garlic can be hard to come by unless you are an expert forager. The photography by Jason Lowe is stunning and inspiring, so if you are looking for a smart book for dinner party entertaining this would be a great choice.