Anton Edelmann Creative Cuisine: Chef's Secrets from the Savoy

In the galaxy of star chefs currently working in London, none shine brighter than Anton Edelmann of The Savoy. Brought up in Germany, trained in France, and passionately devoted to Japanese cuisine, Edelmann has travelled widely and evolved a unique synthesis of these and other cooking traditions which has made The Savoy one of the city's most exciting eating places. This book explores his progressive and enterprising repertoire and reveals the secrets of his highly individual art. Edelmann begins his book with the essential elements - stocks, sauces and pastries - on which many of the recipes are based. Appropriately named "the building blocks", these include chicken essence, white batter, pesto sauce, sherry vinaigrette, a basic pasta dough and a delicious raspberry sauce to accompany tarts and crepes. Like his soups, which range from cock-a-leekie to corn chowder with shellfish wontons, his first courses show the breadth of his inspiration: tomato and mozzarella tarts, tiger prawns in filo with mango sauce, potato salad with caviar a la Raisa. The choice of main courses is no less stimulating. While traditionalists may be faithful to chicken pie or roast pigeon on a purse of Brussels sprouts, the more adventurous can flirt with Thai crab cakes, navarin of lamb with couscous, or tournedos with pesto and Mediterranean vegetable ragout. Desserts include gooseberry dumplings, plum and frangipane tart with streusel and Anton's "summer teaser". Throughout this collection, with its blend of the familiar and the exotic, the emphasis is on simplicity, harmony and fresh, unadulterated flavours.