Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6182 in Books
• Published on: 1999-09-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Simon Hopkinson's much-admired Roast Chicken and Other Stories now appears (unchanged) in Ebury Press's uniform paperback cookbook series, following its original publication in 1995 and a subsequent paperback career. The present edition is handsome, user-friendly and durable, with good paper and secure stitching. These things matter. The book itself is as much an incitement to cook as it ever was. The contents are a stroll through 40 of Simon Hopkinson's favourite ingredients, from anchovy and asparagus to lamb and leeks to tripe and veal, with a discursive introduction to each followed by a number of recipes. Those familiar with Hopkinson's writings will not be surprised that, despite his former reputation as a top restaurant chef (Hilaire and Bibendum in London), the recipes are robust, flavoursome and--if this is the right word-- homely. At any rate, they are all eminently cookable. Mostly they are drawn from the repertoires of British and classic French cooking, with dishes such as "Le Grand Aioli", "Brandade de Morue", "Fruit Fool", "Breast of Lamb Ste-Menehould" and "Omelette Arnold Bennett" giving perhaps an indication of Hopkinson's taste for simple, honest food. Spain and Italy, Australia and South-East Asia also put in an appearance, to vivid effect, with items such as "Gazpacho", "Risotto alla Milanese" and "Coriander and Coconut Soup". Simon Hopkinson's enthusiasm is infectious; his writing is warm and witty. Anyone who hasn't encountered this book in a previous incarnation has a treat in store. --Robin Davidson

Daily Telegraph
'Simon Hopkinson's recipes have been voted the best ever and are outselling Harry Potter'

William Sitwell - Editor of Waitrose Food Illustrated
'Simon Hopkinson has an amazing ability to write recipes for the home cook that are accessible, practical and exciting.'

Customer Reviews

Beware the Lemon!
I got this cookbook for Christmas and 1 year later, I've made a fair few of the recipes within the covers. They have been without exception delicious. I also like the writing on French food which I'm not particularly knowledgable on. I find some voyeuristic pleasure in reading what this guy has to say because he drifts into foods that you would never find in a supermarket (see chapter on brains!) and would probably never dream of cooking; but he makes it sound like your missing out on a massive treat!

The main problem i have with the meals i've cooked from 'Roast Chicken' is they always have too much lemon in. My family have always pointed this out to me. It makes the front cover of the book seem slightly ominous looking back, therefore BEWARE THE LEMON.

Waste of time
I wrote some time ago that this book was not worth buying, but it never got published. Give me Nigel Slater any time. I love to cook and over the years have bought many recipe books, but this was definitely the worst.

`The most useful cookbook of all time' - `Waitrose Food Illustrated'
I have to be honest, I am not normally drawn to this sort of `cookbook', but I am so glad I was and looked inside!
A friend and colleague described this book as a `grown-up' cookery book and I now understand what she meant!
Along with its companion, `Second Helpings of Roast Chicken', in its pale blue guise, the two volumes are just simply...... different!

Within the dark blue covers are not the oodles of colour photos that would normally encourage one to flick through.
In fact the only illustrations there are, are subtle and simple, and limited to the opening of each new chapter, and at the base of the odd page on a seemingly ad hoc basis. But, strangely enough, that is all that is required.
Additionally, any book that refers to the great `Elizabeth David`, is sure to find a place on my kitchen bookshelf!
`Some continental classics would not be the same without anchovy. Take `anchoiade' - this Provençal staple combines garlic, olive oil, a little vinegar and some pounded anchovies. It is then spread on to thick slices of toast according to Elizabeth David.
She goes on to say: 'This is not so much an hors d'oeuvre as the sort of thing to get ready quickly any time you are hungry and want something to go with a glass of wine....' What splendid advice.

From the rear cover:-
`Simon Hopkinson is not just one of Britain's top chefs, he is also a superb natural cook.
`Roast Chicken and Other Stories' takes Simon's favourite ingredients as its starting point - 40 of them, from anchovy and asparagus through lamb and leeks to tripe and veal.
Many of the recipes are drawn from classic French and British cooking, but ideas from elsewhere (notably South East Asia, the Unites States, Spain, Italy and Australia) are also incorporated.

Winner of both the 1994 `André Simon' and 1995 `Glenfiddich' awards, this acclaimed book will inspire anyone who delights in getting the best out of good ingredients and who enjoys sharing the ideas of a truly creative book.'


230 high quality, shiny pages sandwiched between an introduction, and a full index.
The contents list shows the chapters - the 40 `ingredients' chosen for this volume with their recipes, so this is an easy book to find what you need in a hurry!
An added bonus - `Chocolate' is included with six of the most delicious recipes:-

` I agree with the late Roald Dahl that the British chocolate bar is the best in the world.
There is nothing to beat the gorgeous sickliness of a Mars Bar, and, as a boy, I was seduced by the honeycomb centre of a Crunchie. (I'm sure I wasn't alone in trying to make a deep hole in the honeycomb with my tongue, before the chocolate collapsed around it.)
And I remember the effortlessness of eating a Milky Way or an Aero, and of being repeatedly surprised by the alarming speed with which one could consume a packet of Munchies, or one of those small, strangely shaped bars called Toffee Cup.......'

Chocolate Tart
Saint-Emillion au Chocolat
Milk Chocolate Malt Ice Cream
Chocolate Pithiviers
Chocolate Bavarois
Petit Pot au Chocolat

Each chapter opens with narrative re the `ingredient'.
The recipes open with a relevant comment or serving tip and are followed by a clear list of ingredients, and the method.

A taste of some of the other recipes within:-

Asparagus Soup
Cervelles au beurre noir
Roast Chicken
Deep-Fried Cod
Crab Tart
Crème Chantilly
Custard Sauce
Eggs Florentine
Creamed Endives
Fillet of Hake with Herb Crust
Roast Best End of Lamb with Aubergine & Basil Cream Sauce
Vichyssoise
Red Pepper Tart
Chips
Saffron Cream Dressing
Salmon in Pastry with Currants & Ginger
Omelette Arnold Bennett
Spinach Dumplings
Steak au Poivre
Creamed Tomatoes on Toast
Roast Shin of Veal