In his BBC series, Adventures in Search of Perfection, UK chef Heston Blumenthal (of the highly acclaimed London eatery Fat Duck) turns his applies his unique creative and culinary talents to reinventing some of the world’s most well-know yet sadly often abused dishes. In the first installment he recreated the ‘perfect’ versions of such dishes as pizza, steak, roast chicken, Black Forest cake. This time in ‘Further Adventures…” he tackles a list that is once again a blend of the nostalgia and somewhat quirky; hamburger; fish pie; chicken tikka masala; risotto; Peking duck; chili con carne; baked Alaska and the Brit’s beloved trifle.
Blumenthal’s quests for perfection is all about “The excitement and enjoyment of discovering new routes to the cooking of old favorites.” His journey involves lessons in history, science, social studies and lastly cooking. His quests typically begin with a trip to the source of each dish; enlightening choices such as a burger joint in New Haven, a spice market in Old Delhi or a trawler in Scotland. Heston’s inquisitiveness knows no bounds and he is at his most enjoyable when most out of his element, such as his visit to a chili cookoff and rubbing shoulders with true chili kings and queens.
We’ve had such fun uncovering the mysteries of each dish, and meeting a slew of characters that by the time we get to the actual recipes their ‘perfection’ hardly matters. The list of equipment, ingredients and instructions are positively mind-numbing – it’s almost as if Heston includes them purely for their entertainment value- yet they illustrate the scope of his journey and dedication and we appreciate all the more those who can truly master these iconic dishes.
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Posted by Food Junkie on April 16, 2008Categories - Celebrity Chef, Restaurant, Reference, Professional
