Absolutely parfait! (Gary Rhodes at the Table - Gary Rhodes)

Member Name: Muzzy

Product:	Gary Rhodes at the Table - Gary Rhodes
Date:	03/05/01 (419 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Creative and yummy food

Disadvantages: Need to simplify menus

We all have our favourite TV chefs, don’t we? Some swear by Saint Delia – she’ll always hold a special place in my heart for answering many of the questions I was too afraid to ask. Others are inspired by Jamie Oliver’s throwaway style; I started by finding him a little irritating but I’ve now come to the conclusion he’s a natural cook and he’s surprisingly knowledgeable about his subject. However, I am newly converted to Gary Rhodes. I just caught a little bit of his programme about soups and I was hooked – did you see the bright green colour of that spinach soup? unbelievable! What really made me realise how professional he is was when his programme was followed by Food and Drink. I used to watch this regularly but after Gary Rhodes it looked amateurish. So I watched as much of the rest of the series as I could and bought the book, “Gary Rhodes at the table”, published by the BBC at a cover price of £18.99 (not that internet shoppers will pay that much).

The first thing I noticed was that the book is very attractively produced and great for browsing through. Not all cookery books are like this, and I think it is so important. All the recipes are listed at the beginning in the contents, under course headings in the usual way: appetizers, soups, fish, mains, vegetables, desserts, savouries ... "savouries"? All is explained in a short introduction which gives a history behind the present day formal meal with its three courses, and an encouragement to experiment a little bit in the format of your menu. Given that many of us, when we cook for friends, rarely get as far as three courses, this may be a little unrealistic – but part of the attraction of a lovely cookery book is the dream of a more romantic lifestyle!

The contents pages hint at interesting and exotic flavours. To make the most of Rhodes’ expertise I think you have to be fairly adventurous in your tastes, as
the list includes everything from “Crispy Prawn Cocktail” to “Seared Sea Trout with Fennel-flavoured Sauerkraut and a Red-wine Sauce”. Not one I’m dying to try, personally!

The recipes are somewhere between beginner and Masterchef standard. I'd have to admit that Rhodes can make things pretty complicated. Many of the recipes have two or even three elements to them, such as a meat dish plus a vegetable dish designed to complement it. They are not usually very complicated in themselves but the whole recipe looks a bit daunting. There is also quite an emphasis on presentation, with little drizzles of coulis and such like to give that fashionable restaurant look.

I’d suggest the answer, if you don’t have the time or inclination to attempt the whole thing, is to mix and match the different dishes with simpler accompaniments. That way you can keep it more manageable but still get some wonderful new ideas. For instance, there’s a recipe for Beef Goulash which I’ve tried very successfully, but I serve it with rice or plain mash instead of the Sweet Red Pepper and Parsley Gnocchi which I’m sure complements it beautifully. Similarly there’s “Two Salmons with Sorrel-flavoured Leeks and Crème Fraiche Mashed Potatoes”. This consists of both smoked salmon, which is steamed and served on the mashed potatoes, and fresh salmon which is pan-fried and served on a bed of leeks. Both of these sound wonderful; but I would be tempted to just serve one! There are lots more examples like this, including in the desserts section, such as “Iced Pear Parfait with Sweet Kirsch Cherries”. The parfait, in case you didn’t know (I didn’t) is made from pureed fruit and a sabayon of egg yolks, sugar and pear syrup whisked over simmering water, and then set in a mould. This is served with cherries cooked with kirsch, and also a poached pear. Rhodes takes presentation to new extre
mes with this one, even advising how to cut a small slice from the base of the poached half pear to make it sit up at the right angle! And don’t forget the whipped cream and home-made Melba toast to top the parfait! I think most people would feel all this was a little extreme for a dinner cooked at home. All I can say is that it sounds, and looks in the picture, absolutely mouthwatering.

Each recipe starts with an introduction, which often gives useful background to the dish and tips on the best way to go about cooking and serving. For instance, for the Country Pate, Rhodes explains his choice of meats, and advises that you plan ahead and give the pate a couple of days for the flavours to mature before eating. There is also a really useful section on menus at the end where Rhodes gives suggestions about how to combine different dishes to give a good balance to the meal, and how to avoid too much stress to the cook!

I hope I’ve given you a flavour (sorry) of this book. It’s one that I’m sure I’ll keep going back to, both for new ideas for what I call “weekend” cooking when I have more time, but probably still doing simpler versions of most recipes, and for when I really want to treat my friends. Trouble is, if I can make food that looks this good, I won’t be able to bring myself to let them eat it!

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