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Don't be afraid of offal. Some of the greatest of all French classics involve organ meats such as brains and sweetbreads. - Michel Roux Jr
Les Abats is celebrated chef Michel Roux Jr's new cooking book that doubles up as an ode to offal, a lifetime love that begun in childhood and developed over nearly three decades of living French gastronomy.
The elegant and accessible new cookbook from the two Michelin star chef, published by Seven Dials, gives voice to the "cheap, nutritious and gastronomically interesting" ingredient and celebrates the whole beast, from nose to tail.
Roux's mission to convince the uninitiated home cook into the merits of cooking the offcuts leaves no organ unturned - from hearts, liver, kidneys and lungs to brain, tongue and extremities like tail, ears and feet - all are turned into delicious morsels in Roux's expert hands.
A persuasive ambassador, Roux gently convinces home cooks of the endless offal possibilities, captured in a generous collection of no-nonsense recipes. From the simple sweetbreads his remembers fondly as a child, to the more challenging dishes served at his award-winning restaurants. He also tackles the offal of the sea with finesse before focusing in on poultry, pigs, cattle, sheep and lamb in later chapters.
It's not all offal, there's also a tasty selection of side dish recipes to accompany the stars of the show, like chutneys, mayonnaise and robust salads.
So, if you've been missing offal from your menu, take a look at Roux's convincing recipes and you might just sit down to a comforting bowl of tagliatelle with chicken giblets tonight.
You can purchase a copy here.
