Essential Cuisine

Heirloom edition

Acclaimed local chef Chantel Dartnall believes Michel Bras's Essential Cuisine is indispensable.

One of the most incredible dining experiences of my life was at Bras restaurant owned by three-star Michelin chef Michel Bras, situated outside the village of Laguiole in the Aubrac region of southwestern France.

Bras might be said to have inspired the "go out and pick it movement". He is very much a son of the region, enamoured with his natural surroundings. His menu sees him working with high quality produce sourced locally, his preparation methods informed by local culinary traditions but then reconceptualised using modern techniques.

The appearance of the restaurant bears mentioning, too, with it being a modern, all-glass building perched atop a hill and providing a great view of the surrounding countryside. To eat at Bras was to discover and enjoy the beautiful Aubrac on every sensory level.

Afterwards, I couldn't resist taking home a copy of Bras, the book he wrote as a testament to his life's work and what I have come to consider as simply the best and most artistic culinary publication ever produced. My version is in French, but the book exists in English as well, entitled Essential Cuisine (Ici La Press, 2002).

Even if you have never cooked or intend to cook, this is a book you must have. Just the eye-catching cover is sure to lure any food or even art enthusiast into a closer inspection, and after that you'll be hooked.

This is one of the few cookbooks on my bookshelf (and trust me, there are a few) that, in my opinion, captures the true essence of the environment in which its author operates. It is a depiction of a chef who has a true understanding of nature and the impact that it has on his cuisine.

Although the dishes might seem a bit daunting at first glance, the recipes are easy to follow even if you are not a chef, and there are numerous substitutes listed for ingredients you might not be able to find locally.

One of my personal favourites is a recipe for Mediterranean monkfish poached in black olive oil with mustard stalks. This is always a great success, and takes less than thirty minutes to prepare: it involves cooking the monkfish very gently (almost poaching it) in olive oil pureed with dried olives. A dish of average difficulty to prepare, but providing sensational taste.

Significantly, the recipe's success depends almost solely on the quality of the fish. Another one of my favourite recipes is an assemblage of sauted vegetables known as le gargouillou de jeunes légumes.

Although this dish is more complicated and time-consuming to prepare, the result is pure magic. I had the unforgettable pleasure of eating this as cooked by Bras on my visit and I knew that I had to introduce a version to South Africa.

As my tribute to Michel Bras's culinary brilliance, guests of Mosaic can sample a similar dish called "Celebration of Spring" from September to November, something which has almost become synonymous with the restaurant.

Ultimately, however, Essential Cuisine goes far beyond being a cookbook and becomes a glimpse into the soul of an artist. It is beautiful on so many levels.

The texts surrounding the recipes are a combination of childhood memories and captivating rumination with photography that is simple and stylish and clearly captures the countryside which one can clearly see is one of Bras's main sources of inspiration. In turn, I am inspired to create something new each and every time I open this book.

Dartnall is chef at Restaurant Mosaic at the Orient Boutique Hotel outside Pretoria. Her cooking fundamentals are passion, consistency and simplicity.