Book review: Behind the Pass
Luke French and Stacey Sherwood-French’s debut cookbook isn’t quite what you might expect from the husband and wife restaurateurs. The founders of popular Sheffield restaurant Jöro, which opened in 2016 and which has made regular appearances on the list of the UK’s Top 100 Restaurants, could no doubt easily fill the pages of a substantial book but have instead chosen to showcase some of the best chefs across the UK in Behind the Pass.
The reason for this decision, they say, is to answer the oft asked question of them by friends, family, and guests as to where they would recommend eating out. As such, readers should treat Behind the Pass as a personal restaurant guide from a pair who know a lot about good food as well as an insight into what makes these places tick.
What is immediately notable is that the couple are clearly well travelled when it comes to the UK’s dining scene given the number of restaurants that feature in this almost 300-page book. The pair have worked with everyone who features, which is more impressive still given that the chef roll call includes the likes of Gareth Ward, Joshua Overington, Kenny Atkinson, Lee Westcott, Lisa Goodwin-Allen, Luke Payne, Rafael Cagali, Roberta Hall-McCarron, Santiago Lastra, Tom Booton, Tom Brown, and Tommy Banks, to name a few. Here they share recipes from their restaurants, including some never published before, as well as their thoughts in a series of Q&As.
What follows is a book of greatest hits from chefs at the top of their game, demonstrating a diverse range of cooking style and influences as well as the current strength and depth in the UK’s dining out scene. From Gareth Ward’s chilli crab with a sweet steamed bun; Rafael Cagali’s Brazilian fish stew; and Tommy Banks’ sea buckthorn, chocolate and chestnut; to Roberta Hall-McCarron’s mackerel, gooseberry, and sunflower seed gazpacho; and Luke Payne’s mutton curry, the range of recipes is as eclectic as it is fascinating.
With its broad scope and large collection of contributors, Behind the Pass looks tailored to the amateur chef and foodie, but there’s plenty within its pages more suited to budding chefs looking for inspiration and guidance in the Q&A sections that accompany each chapter. Here wisdom can be found, such as Hjem’s Alex Nietosvuori’s advice to chefs: “Turn off social media, turn off your phone, create a menu out of your head: that’s what makes it better”; and Chris McClurg explaining the benefits of using pomace oil rather than olive oil in a certain dish. Then there’s the inimitable Gareth Ward and his advice to younger people in the industry: “Don’t be a dick. Be nice.” Wise words indeed.
Behind The Pass
Luke French and Stacey Sherwood-French
Number of pages: 288
Must-try dish: Luke French's Alphonso mango, pineapple, kaffir lime, coconut and sansho pepper
Publication date: 1 December
Publisher and price: Meze Publishing, £35
