After all the culinary gymnastics and trumpeting of molecular gastronomy and other mystifying cooking methods, simple cooking seems to be the theme for cookbook writers this year. This is a smart move, because then they can capitalise of a huge market of time-poor people who want to cook delicious meals.
One of the best books I’ve seen in a while is One Perfect Ingredient: Three Ways to Cook It by Marcus Wareing. I haven’t had the opportunity of eating at his Michelin-starred restaurant Petrus, but I have tried his recipes, seen him at work at food shows and on television. I enjoy looking at him cook because he’s one of the most technically proficient chefs on the box these days.
One Perfect Ingredient isn’t about technical wizardry though, it’s about taking some everyday ingredients and making them work exquisitely - but without all the ponciness that other chefs love so much.
What he does it take an ingredient and offers three ways of cooking it. This book is guaranteed to get people cooking, because it all seems so easy. More importantly, it’s a book that makes you say, ‘how come I didn’t think about that before?’
I had a similar feeling a few years ago when I got my hands on another great book, Roast Chicken and Other Stories by Simon Hopkinson. This format of simple recipes using a range of ingredients has won Hopkinson the accolade of most useful cookbook ever because it’s a thoroughly accessible cookbook and Wareing’s book is no different.
Look at carrots for example, I’m sure that most of us either steam or stir fry carrots. Wareing serves up the classic combination of carrot and coriander not in soup, but in the form of a galette. I’d never have thought of using mango with wasabi, but the mango and wasabi salsa in wanton cups sounds absolutely divine.
Wareing is known for his amazing puddings and in this book, he doesn’t disappoint. I am looking forward to trying his eccles cakes, pecan tarts and Earl Grey tea ice cream!
And speaking of tea, he sends us in a totally different direction with tea by encouraging us to use teas to smoke mackerel! My friends should be warned, I’ll be trying this out on them the next time they come over for a meal!

Chamomile tea-smoked mackerel

40g chamomile tea leaves
80g Demerara sugar
80g rice
A little olive oil
4 mackerel, filletted and pin-boned (skin left on)

Method
1. Mix the tea, sugar and rice together.
2. Divide into equal piles, spaced well apart in a deep heavy roasting pan (use an old one that you can keep for smoking in the future).
3. Set a metal rack over the top of the pan and brush the rack with olive oil.
4. Brush the skin of the mackerel with olive oil too, then place the mackerel skin side down on the rack. Oil and season the mackerel flesh.
5. Tent the entire rack with foil, tucking it in securely all around the edges of the pan.
6. Place the pan over a medium to high heat, using two burners to get an even distribution of heat. Leave undisturbed for 3-4 minutes. As soon as a moderate amount of smoke begins to escape from under the foil, immediately remove the pan from the heat.
7. Leave to stand a minimum of 20 mins before uncovering the pan. If not eating straightaway, the mackerel can be kept for up to two days in the fridge.

TIP: For the tastiest result, there needs to be a good amount of smoke so if possible leave the pan to stand outside. Duck breasts can also be smoked in the same way.

One Perfect Ingredient by Marcus Wareing (Dorling Kindersley)