An Evening with Pierre Koffmann

An Evening with the grand-père of French cuisine in Britain, Pierre Koffmann.

Memories of Gascony is the story of how one of the most influential chefs of our time first learned to love food. It remains one of the greatest works on Regional French Food.

With recipes and reminiscences from his grandparents' home in rural Gascony, this is an intimate account of school holidays spent on the farm helping his grandfather to harvest and hunt, and learning to treasure seasonality, simplicity and the best ingredients at his grandmother's side.

The finest of Gascony produce is here, with a focus on simplicity. The recipes stand the test of time and speak to the food tastes and trends of today. While you read the charming stories of everyday life on the farm, you'll devour the cuisine as you go along - dandelion salad with bacon and poached egg, grilled chicken with shallots and vinaigrette, and greengages in armagnac in Spring; chicken liver pate with capers, Bayonne ham tart with garlic, oeufs a la neige in Summer; roast hare with mustard and beetroot, salt cod cassoulet and quince jelly in Autumn; and fried eggs with foie gras, potato and bacon pie and tarte aux pruneaux in Winter.

This is a book to learn, love and live from.

"No words can describe how delicious his food is. He is the Chef's Chef." Michel Roux Jr

"Pierre Koffmann is a giant of the kitchen, and his shadow looms larger than anyone else's. Almost every decent chef I can think of learned most of what he knows from Pierre."

Giles Coren

Pierre Koffmann has been at the heart of fine cuisine in Britain for nearly fifty years. After working as a young chef in France, Koffmann arrived in London in 1970 to work under Michel and Albert Roux at Le Gavroche and then the Waterside Inn. Within six years of opening, La Tante Claire had its third Michelin star, setting new standards for cooking and creating extraordinary dishes from classically simple ingredients, while also serving as an academy for many of today's culinary superstars. Between them Koffmann's proteges now boast over twenty Michelin stars in their own right. After a short-lived retirement, he returned to the kitchen at Koffmann's at The Berkeley, with a more relaxed, informal style and classic provincial French cooking. It is the food that first inspired him to become a chef, the food of the French countryside, the food of his grandparents' farmhouse kitchen in rural Gascony.