Cooking: Simply and Well, for One or Many

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Lay the spring onions on the hot pan to blister, turning after 3-4 minutes to blister the other side. Not only is Cooking the most beautiful cookery book in living memory (with illustrations by the great John Broadley), but it is also that very rare thing: a book, both magisterial and friendly, that immediately feels like it has always been a part of your life, even though it’s brand-new. Place a potato slice in the centre of the skillet and lay the rest of the slices around, overlapping. Warm, gregarious, solicitous, the very life and soul, this irrepressible Scotsman has endeared himself to generations of lucky London diners, first at Terence Conran’s Blueprint Café in the Nineties and Noughties, and for the past decade at the Hart brothers’ magnificent revival of the landmark Quo Vadis, on Dean Street in Soho.

In 2012 Jeremy and Quo Vadis won the Catey for Best Restaurant Menu of the Year and in 2013 they won the Tatler Award for Best Kitchen.But has traveled and cooked widely, citing influences from cooks in many places and generously, happily folding them into his repertoire. Add the cold butter and salt, then, using your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sit this upon the gentlest heat and warm until the shallots have softened and the anchovies have melted. Lee made his bones under Simon Hopkinson and Alastair Little, among the architects of the renaissance in modern British cooking. I'm giving it 5 stars because it's not the book that I'm complaining about, but the packaging material.

Discard any excess fat from the pan, pour the red wine vinegar on to the chop, and turn it a few times to make sure it’s evenly coated.At the restaurant, we like to spread marmalade on a tart case, dot with frangipane, then strew with chocolate and bake.

Any leftover pastry can be sliced thinly, laid on a baking sheet and baked in a low oven until crisp and lightly coloured, making rather wonderful biscuits. It is brilliantly illustrated by John Broadley and photographed by Elena Heatherwick, and will surely be one of the most distinctive cook books published for years from the renowned chef, Jeremy Lee. The chop goes wonderfully with so much, from olive oil, mash or potato and celeriac gratin to green beans, asparagus, peas, courgettes, Jerusalem artichokes or chicory. Great work from, clearly, someone who doesn't need to sell books to pay the mortgage, although PLEASE come back on Saturday Kitchen. Hearst UK is the trading name of the National Magazine Company Ltd, 30 Panton Street, Leicester Square, London, SW1Y 4AJ.To make the pastry, put the cold butter, the flour, sugar and a pinch of salt into the bowl of a food processor and render to a fine crumb. The book is arranged with a chef’s eye for ingredients, and favourite things to eat throughout the seasons, rather than in courses or meals.

Lee hastens to add that at least it didn’t take 20 years to put together, like Alan Davidson’s Oxford Companion to Food. There are sections on the usefulness and frugality of breadcrumbs, black olive crumbs to serve with everything; impromptu puddings like peaches in wine with bay leaves or plum compote with ricotta and hazelnuts; pea dishes galore; superb versions of classics like chocolate St Emilion and pommes Anna; big dishes to serve a few such as marinated chicken with roast pumpkin salad; and essentials like a wild garlic purée. Put the oil into the cast-iron pan, lay the pork chop on top and let cook undisturbed until deep mahogany in colour, roughly 8-10 minutes. Not only is it superbly produced as you’d expect from 4th Estate (beautiful typography and paper and binding, smells devine - though no bookmarks : ( Photography is less than 50% too which is a shame)The great and good in food are all gushing about this book and as part of food’s upper tier it’s no surprise to see this praise for Mr Lee. You’re not going to lose ANY weight by cooking from this book, there’s no lemongrass, chilli or avocado in sight so if that’s your bag move along.

An inspiring collection of recipes and musings that have me wanting to cook every recipe and hang off every word! It is as much indebted to Lee’s Dundee childhood as his years at the stove in smart Sassenach restaurants. They’re filled with books about food, from nouvelle cuisine pioneer Michel Guérard to current London pastry sensation Ravneet Gill. Everything is do-able (although some ingredients are a bit of a challenge if you want the best quality versions and live outside the major cities), it's well written, and engaging.