Recipe Book Review : The British Cook Book by Ben Mervis*

[Ad-gifted] In this digital world, you can find various recipes online but there is nothing better than having a nice cook book at home and to use it for inspiration when needing to make a meal for the family or finding recipes to entertain.

The British Cook Book by Ben Mervis looks great with its textured red cover with gold lettering, feels nice to the touch and has lovely photo before each chapter. Published by Phaidon Press, the recipes are very easy to follow as they are laid out step by step. I love the fact that there are a couple of material page markers the are not only beautiful but very useful.

Keep on reading our latest blog post to find out what the step-by-step instructions for two of the recipes and what I thought of the end results.

What I thought of the book and the two recipes I chose to make

Today, I am going to review Ben Mervis’s “The British Cook Book” which has over 550 much-loved authentic recipes from the British Isles.

Being a “French” living in the UK, I have made various British recipes over the years but Ben’s introduction to each recipe is great as it gives you insight of where the recipe originated from or gives advice on the ingredients used in the recipe.

He also gives a very fascinating  introduction to each chapter of the book. This book is a wealth of information, anecdotal/factual in terms of the recipes. A fun point is that within the book there are old and new recipes, making it all the more interesting.

There are 14 chapters covering various recipes. Each recipe has pictorial information indicating if the recipe is suitable for vegan, or vegetarians. It also shows if the recipes are gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free, made in one pot, have 5 ingredients or less and are made in 30 minutes or less.

The Chapters include:
Eggs and Dairy
Soup and Stews
Vegetables
Fish and Shellfish
Poultry
Game and Game birds
Pork Beef and Lamb
Savoury Pies and Pastries
Stuffings, Dumplings, Porridge and Pastry
Griddle Cakes and Breads
Oven-baked Breads and Savoury Bakes
Cakes, Buns and Biscuits
Puddings and Pies
Sauces, Confections and Preserves

I have made two of the many recipes covered in the book and both turned out exactly as described. I had never made them before and just followed the instructions to the letter.

Recipe 1 – From the Section “Savoury Pies and Pastries

Leek and Stilton Tart (Tarten Gennin a chaws stilton)

As you can see by the name in bracken it is Welsh recipe. I had guests coming and wanted something a little different to what I normally serve.

This tart look simple to make and based on the ingredients sounded like it would be very tasty….. and indeed it was, everyone enjoyed it. There was a couple of slices left and they are still very good the next day. I served it warm with various salads.

Recipe 2 – From the Section “Puddings and Pies”

Debden Chocolate Pudding

After reading this recipe, I decided to try it out. I have never made anything like this before. The recipe is so unusual that I read it a couple of times before starting. It was very easy to follow but as I bake a lot, I was unsure about not having any eggs in the mix but it all work out great and was a success.

The cake ends up on the top with a liquid chocolate sauce. I served the cake at room temperature as stated on the recipe. It is a great cake for chocolate lovers and so easy to make.

Due to how well the two recipes I made turned out I am going to have a go at a few more. There are so many interesting and unusual recipes that I want to try. I also plan to  spend a little time reading the introductions to the recipes as I am curious to find out more about the origin of the recipe.

Where can you get your copy of the book and how much is it? 

You can get your copy here directly from Amazon here and the book is currently priced at £32.79. Please check the price on the website as this might change.

About the book

Publisher  :  Phaidon Press
Format : Hardcover
Number of pages : 464 pages
ISBN-13  :  978-1838665289
Dimensions  :  19.05 x 4.13 x 29.34 cm

Discover over 550 much-loved authentic home cooking recipes from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, celebrating the rich traditions of regional and seasonal British cooking.

In The British Cookbook, author and food historian Ben Mervis takes readers on a mouth-watering culinary tour across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, revealing a cuisine as diverse as the landscape from which it originates.

Part cookbook, part cultural history, this deeply researched collection of 550 authentic recipes encompass home cooking classics, such as Shepherd’s Pie, Welsh rarebit, Scottish Crumpets, and Victoria sponge; lesser-known and regional recipes such as Bonfire Night Black Peas and Dublin Bay Prawns; dishes deeply steeped in British history such as Haggis and Devils on Horseback; and iconic dishes with roots outside the United Kingdom such as Chicken Tikka Massala, Curry Goat and Sesame Prawn Toast.

The recipes are fascinating to read and easy to follow, with lively descriptions of each dish’s origin; clear, user-friendly instructions, and helpful notes on unique ingredients and techniques. Stunning photographs of food and local scenery complete this exciting ode to British Cuisine.

About Ben Mervis

Ben Mervis is a Glasgow-based food writer, researcher, and editor. Mervis is the founder and editor-in-chief of the food-focused travel magazine, Fare and leads research for Netflix’s Chef’s Table series. Before founding Fare, Mervis worked at the world-renowned restaurant noma as well as the culinary non-profit organization MAD in Copenhagen.

Mervis is a graduate of two British universities, the University of Glasgow and King’s College London, where he studied British history. He is particularly enthusiastic about history, travel, and all sorts of puddings.

Review by: Brigitte Kershaw

You may also want to read this:

Kitchen Gadget Review & Recipe: 28cm Cast Iron Pan by Blackmoor

Kitchen Gadget Review & Recipe: 22cm Cast Iron Pan by Blackmoor

Wine & Recipe Review : Chateau Viranel White Wine