Cooking by the Sea

Anyone who holds two Michelin stars has my upmost respect. It's a prestigious achievement - one which Danny Horseele has gained at his restaurant, ‘t Molentje, in the port of Zeebrugge, Belgium - and I have no doubt that his intrinsic cuisine is superb.

I must say, too, that the preface of his book, Cooking by the Sea, endeared him to me. Here was this introverted chef who says he likes to express himself through his creations rather than through his vocal cords. And that sentiment, combined with the visuals, made me really want to like his book.

But - and, yes, there is a but - I felt there was an overriding problem in the book. Throughout, the recipes fall down in several respects. Their methods are poorly explained and the ingredient ratios given are suspect. Perhaps that fault is in the translation, but there just isn't any passion for food conveyed, and the recipes are not clear enough to help either a keen amateur or inexperienced chef navigate the complexities of technique required, at times, in the dishes.

The photography is without question of the finest quality, and the food is well-served visually. But have you ever had the feeling that you've been seduced into buying a book by packaging rather than content? That you've been lured into purchasing a new title shining brightly in the bookshop, which turns out to be a sad disappointment when you get it home and read it in the cold light of day? Well, that's how I feel about Cooking by the Sea.

It's title leads you to believe that it will be solely a fish affair. Yet, in reality, the book's name refers more to Restaurant ‘t Molentje's geographical location than the book's content. It has fish at its heart, of course, but it also has a substantial chapter on meat.

There is an interesting scallop starter served with summer truffles and Paris mushrooms - topped with raw tuna and foie gras, no less - which makes this rather expensive for this section of a menu. To re-create such a dish would put your gross profit margin through the floor.

Another fish, a beautiful sea bass, is treated without any great originality in a dish that stays in the comfort zone with a construction of tomatoes, fennel, olive oil and the ubiquitous basil.

On the positive side, there is a monkfish dish - with rhubarb, celery, soy shoots and rosemary tea - that intrigued me. It was marred by the addition of a sprig of rosemary as a garnish. Be honest, how many times have you seen a half-chewed piece of raw thyme on a plate as it goes back to the kitchen?

I know I'm being picky, but does a rosemary bush on a plate fill an artistic shortfall on the chef's part, or can we put the blame on the photographers of this world, hell-bent on creating height?

Marc Wilkinson, chef-proprietor, Restaurant Fraéche, Oxton, Cheshire

Cooking by the Sea
Danny Horseele
Stichting Kunstboek,
£35
ISBN 90-5856-024-4