Tetsuya by Tetsuya Wakuda

Tetsuya Wakuda is rather a legend and this book celebrates the tenth anniversary of his restaurant in Sydney. The famed Charlie Trotter believes that he is one of the great chefs of our time, combining the flavours of Japan, his homeland, with the treasures that his fostered homeland, Australia, can produce: the finest and freshest ingredients in the world.

This book has coffee table quality; it is a masterpiece artistically. The recipe layout alone is worthy of great poems and the photographs are sublime. Looking through the book, you will realise that not only are the recipes wonderful, they are easy too. Tetsuya believes that the recipes are a starting point, suggestions for you to develop by yourself. However, there is no need to change things whatsoever.

Not only has the presentation of the book received thoroughness in its assembly, you get the feeling that the recipes are failsafe. Tetsuya admits to eight months of experimentation to get the required results for the perfect flourless chocolate cake. He is a man who works to very high standards. Although at home, you needn't cut julienne strips to Tetsuya's exacting standards, unless of course you want to.

To whet your appetite, imagine carpaccio of snapper with banyuls dressing. Banyuls is a French style vinegar, akin to sherry vinegar, and is available from good food stores. A pre-requisite for this dish to work is that the fish, any white-fleshed variety, must be of sashimi quality. A salad of blood orange, beetroot and rhubarb is easy to put together and a great combination of tastes. The beetroot is roasted in foil, mixed with raw rhubarb strips and segments of orange and then tossed in walnut dressing.

Two sorbets that should be mentioned are Granny Smith sorbet served with Sauternes jelly, which counteracts the tartness of the apple, and chocolate sorbet. Both are childishly easy to make and are fabulous.

Let's hope we hear more of Tetsuya in this country. His cooking is innovative and an inspiration to all cooks.

Publication details
183 pp. Photography by Takashi Morieda and Louise Lister. £25
Published by Grub Street
ISBN 1902304853
2001

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