Waiter, there’s a pig’s ear on my plate

Few people in Asia, if any, may have heard of Fergus Henderson, let alone know that he is a chef. But he does have legions of fans elsewhere who subscribe to his philosophy of “nose to tail eating” and flock to worship at his chopping board in the Michelin-starred St John Bar and Restaurant in Smithfields, London.

            Opposed to wasting any part of plant, fish, bird or animal, he advocates using offal and everything from nose to tail, transforming the blood-curdling bits and pieces into gastronomic delights. He once declared, “It’s only polite really if you knock an animal on the head to eat it all: tripe, heart, feet, ears, head, tail. It’s all good stuff.”

This philosophy resulted in two culinary tomes, the foodies’ classic, The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating, in which the bygone rural tradition of using the whole beast is enshrined in recipes that are not for the weak of heart, like the ‘Blood Cake and Fried Eggs’, ‘Crispy Pig Tails’, and ‘Fried Squirrel’. Nor are ‘Warm Pig’s Head’ or Soft Roes on Toast that requires delicate white sacs of herring semen, particularly suited for the weak palate. But he is not all shock and awe; forgotten and tamer recipes also make the cut: ‘Mussels Grilled on a Barbecue’, ‘Deviled Crab’, and ‘Green Beans, Shallots, Garlic, and Anchovies’.

            Maverick chef Anthony Bourdain in his introduction to the book said Henderson’s cooking was an “outrageously timed head butt to the growing hordes of the politically correct, the PETA people, practitioners of arch, ironic Fusion Cuisine, and all those chefs who were fussing about with tall, overly sculpted entrées of little substance and less soul.” Calling him the “most influential chef in the world”, Bourdain also named St John his favourite restaurant in the world, saying he wanted Henderson’s signature roast bone marrow and parsley salad as his “death-row meal”.

         A sequel, Beyond Nose to Tail: More Omnivorous Recipes for the Adventurous Cook, Part 2, was co-written with Henderson’s pastry chef, Justin Piers Gellatly, and helped rustle up more delectable offal classics like ‘Fennel and Ox Tongue Soup’, ‘Pressed Pig’s Ear’, ‘Burnt Sheep’s Milk Yogurt’ and ‘Goat’s Curd Cheesecake, among others.

         On March 26^th, Fergus will showcase his “nose to tail” recipes including ‘Pot Roast 1/2 Pig’s Head’ and ‘Roasted Bone Marrow’ in Singapore at a one-off Masterclass and tasting menu at 25 Degrees Celsius, a bookstore dedicated to all things culinary.

Details: 26 Mar (Fri) | 7.30 pm | S$95 nett per pax, which includes a copy of Beyond Nose to Tail (worth S$51.3), the workshop and tasting portion of food. Limited seats available and bookings can only be made through 25 Degrees Celsius at +65 6327 8389 or ask@25degreec.com