Atherton - Social Suppers

I dedicate this book to two little people in my life my beautiful daughters, Keziah and Jemimah, who love me regardless of what I do, how many hours I work and no matter how far away from them I am. They are my shining lights, my drive, my inspiration and simply the love of my life. Girls: I love you more than you will ever know.

This electronic edition published in 2014 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

First published in Great Britain in 2014 by

Absolute Press, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Absolute Press

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Text copyright Jason Atherton, 2014

Photography copyright John Carey, 2014

Publisher Jon Croft

Commissioning Editor Meg Avent

Art Director and Designer Matt Inwood

Project Editor Alice Gibbs

Editor Imogen Fortes

Photographer John Carey

Home Economy and Recipe Testing

Emily Quah and Nicole Herft

Props Stylist Jo Harris

Indexer Zoe Ross

The rights of Jason Atherton to be identified as the author of this work have been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved
You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages

ePub ISBN: 9781472912817

Print ISBN: 9781472904249

A note about the text

This book was set using Baskerville, a serif typeface designed in 1757 by John Baskerville (17061775) in Birmingham, England. It is classified as a transitional typeface, in appearance bridging the gap between the old-style faces of William Caslon and the modern styles of Giambattista Bodoni and Firmin Didot.

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CONTENTS

FOREWORD

BY THOMAS KELLER

When I first met Jason Atherton in London, the first thing I noticed was his approachability and warmth, layered with a boundless energy that was both affable and curious.

My chef de cuisine of The French Laundry at the time, Eric Ziebold, and I chose to dine at Jasons restaurant for its reputation. It was a wonderful experience to our delight Jason took care of us that day and made a lasting impression.

A few years later, when I had the chance to taste Jasons food at Pollen Street Social for the first time, I saw this warmth and energy, refined and infused with innovative flavour profiles. Jasons cuisine at Pollen Street Social and around the world takes the simple flavours of home and homes around the world and elevates them in dishes mastered with skill and technique.

I know that it takes courage to cook simple food, and that is one way the great chefs are separated from the good ones. Jason is one of the greats. Hes the best of both worlds. He has the prowess of a Michelin-starred chef with accolades from every corner of the globe, but he is also the person you want to be preparing your Sunday supper.

In Social Suppers, Jason invites us into his home for one such dinner. From starters, main courses and desserts to learning the basics, he uses his incredible technique and approachable nature to walk you through each step. With dishes like fried eggs with black pudding, capers and anchovies; Mrs. Tees wild mushrooms on toast with bacon jam (named for his mushroom forager); and bone marrow, gentlemans relish and onions on toast (so popular on his Hong Kong restaurants menu that they cant remove it); youll experience recipes that have a strong foundation and yet take playful risks in ways that will surprise and delight. I have known Jason for ten years, and throughout his ascent to success he has maintained a humility that is admirable. Jason is more than the praise he has garnered, and through his recipes in Social Suppers, you will sense that. He represents the next generation of chefs and the future of food.

As he says, when youre a cook, youve got power in your hands to entertain people, to impress people, to win over friends, family, lovers, whatever you want to do. When we experience Jasons food, we gladly relinquish our power and turn it over to a person who nourishes us at the table and beyond.

Thomas Keller, The French Laundry

February 2014

INTRODUCTION

During my life as a chef I have been very fortunate to have travelled to many different countries. Just the thought of travel gives me butterflies in my stomach thinking about the styles of dishes I may encounter, the new recipes and cuisines I will discover, and the chefs I may meet and learn from.

Travelling is one of lifes great luxuries. So when I was asked by my business partners in Asia, Mrs. Oei and Peng and Geoff, whether I would like to expand into Singapore with a new restaurant it was a big YES. It meant for the first time I could combine my love of travel and cooking in one restaurant. Esquina was born in Chinatown in Singapore with the talented Andrew Walsh. Seven restaurants later spanning Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore I sometimes think I have the best job in the world.

When I am on a long-haul flight or just in a coffee shop grabbing some precious moments alone, I will write down all of the dishes that I would love to cook to share with my friends and family at home: food which I know is going to taste great and evoke memories of my travels for me. In this book are those dishes: recipes inspired by my restaurants from all around the world and by the food I have experienced while travelling to so many different countries. But you dont have to travel far to have these memories and inspirations I have also included dishes that are based right on my doorstep in Britain yet still have great meaning for me. I have recreated all the recipes for you to try in your own home. Some you will be familiar with and others not, but I urge you to taste them all.

It might sound obvious, but the recipes in this book are all about flavours. When you cook anything from a Michelin-starred dish to a simple salad the thing that needs to come first, above everything else, is the flavour. I know from cooking these dishes time and again that the flavours harmonize beautifully, but you can add your own flair to these recipes; you dont need to tie yourself to everything exactly as its written here so be creative and let these recipes inspire you to make great food that you love.