Blue and white cloth binding with white title and cured hams image.

We provide an in-depth photographic presentation of this item to stimulate your feeling and touch. More traditional book descriptions are immediately available

• Note: This book carries a £5.00 discount to those that subscribe to the F.B.A. mailing list

For conditions, please view our photographs. A nice clean rare copy from the library gathered by the famous Cambridge Don, computer scientist, food and wine connoisseur, Jack Arnold LANG. Jack founded the Midsummer House, Cambridge’s paramount restaurant. This dining experience is hidden amongst the grassy pastures and grazing cattle of Midsummer Common and perched on the banks of the River Cam.

Fortnum & Mason Food & Drink Awards 2015 | Highly Commended

Curing and smoking your own food is a bit of a lost art in Britain these days. While our European neighbours have continued to use these methods on their meat, fish and cheese for centuries, we seem to have lost the habit. But with the right guidance, anyone can preserve fresh produce, whether living on a country farm or in an urban flat – it doesn’t have to take up a huge amount of space. The River Cottage ethos is all about knowing the whole story behind what you put on the table; and as Steven Lamb explains in this thorough, accessible guide, it’s easy to take good-quality ingredients and turn them into something sensational. Curing & Smoking begins with a detailed breakdown of any kit you might need (from sharp knives to sausage stuffers, for the gadget-loving cook) and an explanation of the preservation process – this includes a section showing which products and cuts are most suitable for different methods of curing and smoking. The second part of the book is organised by preservation method, with an introduction to each one, and comprehensive guidance on how to do it. And for each method, there are, of course, many delicious recipes! These include chorizo Scotch eggs, salt beef, hot smoked mackerel, home-made gravadlax and your own dry-cured streaky bacon sizzling in the breakfast frying-pan.

With an introduction by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and full-colour photographs as well as illustrations, this book is the go-to guide for anyone who wants to smoke, brine or air-dry their way to a happier kitchen. There is also a directory that tells you where to purchase the best-quality equipment from for all your smoking and curing needs at home.

Reviews:

• I completely love this book for it’s information and ease of reading. Makes what I thought was difficult sound simple and easy to try myself. Nice small book so easy to store or carry to the shop with you. I am currently trying the Bresaola and am very excited to see how it turns out.
• Unlike some of the books on this subject, Steven Lamb gets stuck into the how and why of curing and its science. There is a good mix of information and recipes but it’s more of a curing book than a smoking book which leaves you wanting more. The butchery sections are excellent for a beginner to follow too, and a good reminder for those who do have the skills… Just one small error in the book – in the basic brine recipe it should be 300gm of salt to 4540ml of water, not 454ml….. A quick email to RCHQ has elicited a reply from Steven – top marks here !

Steven Lamb has been involved with River Cottage since the very beginning, hosting events, living at HQ as the resident smallholder, and appearing regularly in the TV series and online. Working closely with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and head chef Gill Meller, he represents River Cottage in the UK and abroad. He teaches at the cookery school, where he specialises in curing and smoking meat.