Andrew Pern: Loose Birds and Game Book

Loose Birds and Game is another journey with renowned chef Andrew Pern transporting us through a world of poultry, game and fish. It is an accomplished book, lovely to read and a treat to cook from. Stunning photography captivates and the food inspires. One of my favourites.

Images from Loose Birds and Game

If you are a fan of British food then the chances are you have heard about The Star at Harome , and if you are a reader of this website then you will also know I am one of its greatest fans and have long admired the work of chef-patron Andrew Pern.

Andrew is well respected throughout the chef world for his sublime cooking. He has a love of locality in everything he cooks and there is no greater advocate for his beloved North Yorkshire moors and its produce. He touched on this in his first, highly acclaimed book, Black Pudding and Foie Gras, but it is to his second book, we turn to truly understand the wealth of produce in this area.

Loose Birds and Game is another journey with Andrew transporting us through a world of poultry, game and fish, to frosty mornings enlivened with hot toddy's before a days shoot and glimpses behind the scenes that many Star Inn customers will never see when the shoot guests and chef party.

Andrew's first book was always going to be a hard act to follow but with publisher Anthony Hodgson they have pulled it off again. From the silk cover, (I thought after endlessly stroking the suede cover of the Black Pudding book I wouldn't be seduced again - wrong) the gate-fold pages to introduce each chapter, celebrity endorsement (meet Michel Roux and Brian Turner) sublime photography, and of course the recipes, it is a breathy read, moving at a fast pace.

The overriding theme as belied by the title centers on poultry, game and a hefty helping of fish. All of it is of the 'loose'(wild and free) variety as Andrew points out on more than one occasion, it is food that is cheap, healthy and readily available in season. Not so cheap are some of the accompaniments of truffle, foie gras, specialist oils and rare eggs, but hey, the spirit is there.

After reading chapters describing the 'shoots' on the moors, the characters in the pub and the intricacies of Andrew's family and upbringing, I turned to the recipes. This is certainly a book for the ardent chef and keen cook; a novice may want a little more practice before embarking on this culinary fest. Some of the recipes are unrestrained in their ingredients, complexity and techniques; some shine in simplicity. All are a cache of inspiration, and I defy any food-lover to not salivate at the lusciousness of each dish.

Well done for introducing a wealth of rarer foods and for providing details of where to buy them. For those not able to buy them, suggestions for alternatives would have been welcome. Portion sizes are sometimes man-sized or to feed a crowd; perhaps a little guidance on how to cut them down for those with fewer friends than Andrew? I giggled at the chef recipes, am not sure there are many with pans large enough to hold 15kg of bones.

I love this book. It is my home turf as well, and so I can speak with authority that Andrew has captured the beauty, diversity and character of the land and the people perfectly. A book to treasure.

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.