Fergus Henderson - The Complete Nose to Tail

When having lunch at Sweetings, you sit at a bar behind which a waiter is trapped, you order your smoked eel, they yell to a runner who delivers your eel over your shoulder to the waiter, who then places it under the counter and then in front of you as if they had it all along. Not an entirely practical way of getting your food, but a splendid eating ritual, and a wonderful lunch.

Nose to Tail Eating means it would be disingenuous to the animal not to make the most of the whole beast; there is a set of delights, textural and flavorsome, which lie beyond the fillet.

This is a book about cooking and eating at home with friends and relations, not replicating restaurant plates of food.

Do not be afraid of cooking, as your ingredients will know, and misbehave. Enjoy your cooking and the food will behave; moreover it will pass your pleasure on to those who eat it.

The perfect recipe manages to steady and uplift at the same time.

One afternoon my flat was broken into. The strange thing is, before I went out I had put a hare in the oven to braise, which filled the flat with delicious gamey smells. I cannot help but think that it must have been very distracting to the burglar, the musk of a braising hare.

Unctuous potential: Trotter Gear is your gastronomic friend.

I thought we should start this book with something to lead you into your indulgence, a cleansing glass to get the juices going. Its known in Italy as a bicyclette, as old men drink it and then wobble home on their bikes. Interestingly, Harrys Bar in Venice refuses to serve this concoction, rather as if its Italys version of a snakebite, but do not be deterred.

In a wineglass pour a measure of Campari, add some ice and top up with dry white wine. With trial and error, you shall find your chosen strength.

Your good health and appetite!

(Never underestimate the power of Soup)

To serve four

This is a perfect case of why you must befriend your butchers and give them a bit of advance warning. They should be able to get you the tails. If they come in dribs and drabs, get your brine bucket out and use it as a holding tank until you have amassed enough tails.

veal bones, roasted in a hot oven for half an hour

stock vegetablescarrot, leek, celery, onion, garlicroughly chopped

a bundle of parsley, thyme and a little rosemary

2 veal tails per person, for at least a week, then a good soak in fresh water overnight to desalinate

sea salt and black pepper

2 pounds fresh peas in their pods, podded just before useor you could apply the theory a wise chef once told me, which was to use fresh when peas are in season and otherwise use frozen

Put the roasted veal bones, chopped stock vegetables and bundle of herbs into a pot. Place the tails on top, cover with water and simmer for 3 hours, skimming as you go. Then, using a sharp knife to make sure that the tails are thoroughly cooked, remove gently and put to one side.

Strain the broth and chill it thoroughly. as described. Return to the heat and check the seasoning. Reintroduce the tails and, at the last moment, add the peas and serve.

Encourage the use of fingers in the picking up of the tails and giving them a good gnaw. This soup is a thing of beauty, with tails and peas bobbing about in a clear broth... Ahhh.

To serve eight

This is the sort of thing Victorians would recommend for a sickly child to make them grow big and strong. Its delicious too.

duck fat or unsalted butter

4 to 4 pounds onions, peeled, cut in half and sliced

3 cups good cider

1 pounds good veal stock (or if by chance you have some, duck stock)

2 to 2 pounds middle veal marrowbones

8 slices of white bread

extra-virgin olive oil

sea salt and black pepper

a handful of chopped curly parsley

In a pan large enough to take the other ingredients, melt the duck fat or butter and cook your onions. This time we want them to achieve a soft, sweet brownness (no burningthis is not a process you should rush; it will take up to 1 hour). Once achieved, add the cider and stock, bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. While this is happening, roast your marrowbones in a hot oven until the marrow is loose, not flowing out of the bones. Sprinkle the bread with olive oil and toast in the oven. Season the soup to taste.

When the bones are ready, hold them with a tea towel, scoop out their delicious marrow and spread it on the crispy toast. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Serve the soup in deep soup bowls and top with the bone marrow toast. Finish off with a healthy topping of parsley, dropped in the dump-truck style (rather than sprinkled) onto the floating toast. Now eat.

To serve eight

We made a version of this recently at St. John, and it was so surprising and good that even though it is an old classic I thought I should include this version. I hope that no one will take offense if it seems to break with hundreds of years of cock-a-leekie culture. This is more than a soup; in fact, it would happily pass as a meal in itself.

BRISKET

2 to 2 pounds beef brisket for 1012 days, or salted beef brisket from the butcher

2 onions, peeled and chopped

2 carrots, peeled

2 leeks, cleaned and chopped

2 bay leaves

10 black peppercorns

a bundle of thyme and parsley

CHICKEN

1 free-range chicken or capon if available (slit the skin where the legs meet the body)

2 peeled onions

2 clean leeks

2 stalks of celery

2 bay leaves

10 black peppercorns

a bundle of thyme

parsley

2 sprigs of rosemary

FINISHING

5 leeks, cleaned and sliced across

the smallest dash of duck fat or extra-virgin olive oil

24 prunes with their stones in (preferably Agen prunes, if you can find them)

BRISKET

Place the brisket and its accompanying vegetables and herbs in a pan and cover with fresh water. Bring to the boil, then straight away reduce to a very gentle simmer, skimming constantly. This should take about 2 hours to cook, but always check with a knife how giving the meat is. Allow the beef to cool in the broth.