Raymond Blanc is one of those rare individuals who, more then any other chef, put the British culinary scene on the map, long before celebrity chefs were around.  As Marco Pierre White puts it  ‘Only a few great chefs are produced every century. Raymond Blanc is one of those great chefs‘.

Over the years he himself has become a celebrity chef, most notably as the host of  “Restaurant UK“. He knows more about food and cooking than pretty much anyone else. His cooking has been described as “an extraordinary process of creativity, passion, subtlety, indeed genius.” His life and career to date have been utterly dedicated to the search for culinary perfection – see A Taste Of My Life.

Raymond is once again on television, in the BBC Series – Kitchen Secrets – a second part of this series has just been released. He has been filmed in the kitchens of his beloved Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, and out and about around the country, meeting many who share his passion and love of good food and good ingredients. And to complement the series he’s just released Kitchen Secrets, containing recipes from both series of Kitchen Secrets and more.

In it he shares some of his classic recipes all achievable in the home kitchen. Over the years he has refined the recipes to perfection. Every recipe includes explanations and hints to ensure that the cooks results are consist. Dishes that once seemed plain, or impossibly complex, suddenly become simple and elegant.

The book is divided into 16 chapters, including Shellfish,  Lamb, Puddings, Cakes & Pastries, and chocolate. Recipes include classics like watercress soup, chicory and Roquefort salad, chicken liver parfait, confit salmon, moules marniere, grilled dover sole, home cured ham, pot au feu, lambs liver persillade, roast wild duck, lamb cutlets, galette des Rois, cherry clafoutis and Maman Blanc’s own chocolate mousse.

The book is extremely user friendly.  Each recipe gives an approximate preparation and cooking time, any special equipment needed and tips on how to plan ahead for the dish.  In addition at the end of each recipe are a variety of further tips to ensure that the recipe is a success.

At Wickedfood Cookery School we use his various books as a constant source of reference when we look for authentic French recipes for our French cookery classes. Kitchen Secrets is  a must-have for anybody with a love of French cuisine and finesse.

For a few recipes from Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets, see our recipe of the week, or click here

Interested in buying this book? For the next 2 weeks Red Pepper Books is offering a special discounted price for Kitchen Secrets. Visit – Red Pepper Books – The South African online bookshop, they are able to offer you great prices on any book you are looking for, and the deliver to your door.

Wickedfood Cooking School in Sunninghill runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studio. Cookery classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – teambuilding cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our cooking lessons are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and team building cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.