WINNER OF THE GOURMAND COOKBOOK AWARDS BEST COOKBOOK OF THE YEAR 2007

Robuchon is the most influential French chef of the post-nouvelle cuisine era. Since the mid-eighties, he has been called the primus inter pares of Paris' three star chefs for his work both at Jamin and at his eponymous restaurant. He is renowned for the relentless perfectionism of his cuisine. His food was seen as instrumental in leading French cuisine away from the excesses - and excessive reductionism - of nouvelle cuisine. In particular, his cuisine is seen as harkening back to a more authentic, even bourgeois French cuisine - cuisine actuelle - which focuses on making each ingredient taste of itself. He has mentored such distinguished chefs as Gordon Ramsay and Michael Caines and his signature dishes include a cauliflower cream with caviar and potato puree.

In The Complete Robuchon he offers us his recipes (over 800), secrets and tips: from the perfect omelette to vegetable soup, leg of lamb to marinated mussels, to his renowned potato puree every dish is described in detail starting with the ingredients, he tells you how to clean and prepare them down to the way to hold the pan and precise cooking times. It is all here - a catalogue of the basics of French cuisine and a broad sampling of dishes that have earned the author his titles of glory and his truly imaginative recipes from L'Atelier.

Born in Poitiers in 1945, Joël Robuchon became the official chef of La Tour de France, where he learnt a variety of diverse regional techniques. At 28, he became head chef at Harmony-Lafayette, overseeing 3,000 meals a day. In 1981 he launched Jamin in Paris and within three years had received three Michelin stars. In 1996 he left his Parisian restaurant, establishing L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Tokyo. He opened another L'Atelier in Paris in 2003 and has since established Ateliers in Las Vegas, New York and London.

Reviews

'Someone has to be top. In the past decade, nine out of ten restaurant critics would tell you that man is Joël Robuchon.' Giles Mcdonagh, Financial Times