Bentley, Contemporary Cuisine

Savage, Brent

ISBN: 9781741968170

Publisher: Murdoch Book Pty Ltd

Sydney's Bentley Bar and Restaurant is renowned for its unique contemporary cuisine. Using the best seasonal ingredients Brent Savage aims to bring out the most of the foods flavour and textures. By using molecular cooking techniques such as "sous vide" and "dehydration" he hopes to create dishes that are pleasurable and unique but not so over the top that they takeover the occasion (like many chefs these days who seem to lose focus on what is important).

Dishes in this book are achievable by us mere mortals with a little effort. Savage has written recipes with the home cooks in a domestic kitchen in mind. His masterclass in the beginning of this cookbook explains the techniques used at The Bentley and how to modify these using domestic kitchen equipment. However alongside many complicated recipes are many basic ones, with plenty of scrumptious ideas. If like most of us you don't wish to spend all day in the kitchen preparing one dish it is also possible to take simply part of the dish and concept to create amazing food.

Basic dishes include: "Crisp Spiced Chicken with Aioli", "Prawn on a Stick with Black and White Sesame", "Bass Groper with Sour Orange, Mussels, Clams and Mustard Puree". For those more challenging dishes using scary techniques try: "Venison Tartare with Sweet Liquid Wasabi", "Kingfish Marinated in Squid Ink with Perfumed Fruit and Coconut", "Toast Custard with Chocolate Parfait and Lychee Puree". This is a very handsome book with plenty of enticing dishes to salivate over.

The Bentley is a fabulous cookbook for the more adventurous cook.