Pork & Sons

Written by Stéphane Reynaud

Stéphane Reynaud pays homage to the pig in this extensive recipes book. Born into a family of butchers and the owner of restaurant Villa 9 Trois, (specialising in pork, just outside of Paris), Reynaud’s love of sow and boar was instilled at birth. His childhood in Saint-Agréve meant plenty of time was spent watching his grandfather working tirelessly in his butcher’s shop, and witnessing the delights that weighed down the shelves as his father took over the family business.

Reynaud talks the reader through the slaughtering process, pig producers and of course recipes, all decorated with stellar photography and well-crafted illustrations (of many a pig). For black pudding lovers, this book hugs a collection of recipes close to its heart: black pudding with autumn fruits, black pudding with walnuts and chestnuts, and black pudding gratin all call out to die hard meat eaters.

‘Do you speak sausage?’ asks Reynaud as he embarks on a loving narrative of the origins of sausage making and all its regional differences. Many sausage recipes ensue, including the comforting likes of sausage cassoulet and sausage gratin, along with the more stylish realms of sausage in brioche and sausage with salsify.

Paté, belly, tongue and bacon all get a look in, with Reynaud regularly studding the book with tales of family life and his many years of experience in the trade. This isn’t a book you can scan in a rush – it’s a tome large enough to warrant some serious attention. As with all good recipes books, it’s a great read in itself, and you’ll be hard pressed not to want to head straight to your local butchers for some cuts to play with. Vegetarians beware of an urge to defect…

Published by Phaidon