Radio Times

Review by:

David Butcher

“Oh, and you’ll need a syringe, a blow-torch and some woodchips from the garden,” Heston Blumenthal warns us. Of course we will. Alternatively, we can just watch while you do it, Heston, which might be easier.

It’s good to have the nutty professor back, talking us through his whizz-bang ways with ordinary ingredients. Beef is the theme for this first episode, so we learn the importance of the Maillard reaction (ie browning, to you or me) and that using an egg to bind mince is a “burger blunder”. Captions saying “Top Tip” or “Big Mistake” zoom on and off the screen and a revealing experiment shows why resting meat matters.

Whether or not you have any intention of starting a small bonfire round a bowl of chilli, it’s a great watch.

About this programme

1/6. Chef Heston Blumenthal tries to improve domestic cooking, demonstrating his techniques and explaining why some methods work while others do not. Each edition focuses on a single ingredient, beginning with beef. He challenges established ways of cooking the meat, including the idea that searing keeps juices in, and reveals his secret for improving mince - building a chilli bonfire in a bowl.

Cast and crew

Cast

Presenter

Heston Blumenthal

Crew

Executive Producer

Nicola Gooch

Series Director

Helen Downing

Series Producer

Jessica Jones

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