Luke Dale-Roberts, a seasoned chef with 36 years of culinary expertise unveils his captivating cookbook, that chronicles the evolution of his creations at his restaurant, The Test Kitchen, over a decade. Embracing a natural philosophy, he eschews synthetic products, prioritising flavour as the essence of his dishes. Influenced by luminaries like Heston Blumenthal and mentors such as Kevin Hopgood, the Chef Luke weaves global influences into his recipes, drawing inspiration from his UK heritage and travels across Asia and Latin America. Discover how, with meticulous recipe development, and gorgeous photographs to match, The Test Kitchen invites readers on a creative journey, encouraging them to savour the process and broaden their culinary horizons.
Can you tell us a bit about your background and what inspired you to become a cookbook author?
I was brought up in the UK, in the countryside of East Sussex. I left school at 16 and started catering college shortly after that. I’ve been cooking ever since, so that’s 36 years now. For a long time, I have been wanting to do a book that captures everything we had created at The Test Kitchen during the 11 years the restaurant was open.
What is your personal cooking philosophy, and how does it influence your approach to creating recipes?
I like to keep everything as natural as possible. I don’t use any synthetic products in my food, and I rely on taste and flavour combinations first as the foundation for all my dishes. Presentation comes second. I like for everything to pack a punch.
Have there been any influential chefs or cookbook authors who have inspired your culinary journey?
Heston Blumenthal, who did the foreword for my book, is a huge influence on many of us chefs. There were also a multitude of chefs I trained under, such as Kevin Hopgood and Graham Garett, who helped me learn the building blocks to cookery.
What do you hope readers will take away from your cookbook, both in terms of cooking skills and culinary appreciation?
I hope each page leaves the reader feeling inspired to cook what’s there, and that the book as a whole will help them broaden their horizons in terms of food and flavour.
Can you share a memorable cooking or food-related story from your own life that shaped your passion for cooking?
When I was in England recently, my mom showed me an Indian cookery book that I was given when I was around 12 years old. Some of the pages were stuck together with dried splashes of curry from all those years before, and I was reminded that the day I received that cookbook was the day I first felt inspired to start exploring with food.
Could you provide a brief overview of The Test Kitchen and its main themes or concepts?
The theme is the evolution of my food through the decade that I spent at The Test Kitchen. It is quite technical, but each recipe is quite detailed with easy-to-follow steps.
What was the process of putting the book together like?
While I never procrastinate when putting a dish together, finding the motivation for writing out the recipes was difficult! I was super fortunate enough to have Carla Schulze (my head development chef) assist me.
“Taking on one of the recipes from The Test Kitchen is about allowing yourself the time to be creative and just enjoy the process.”
Can you describe the types of recipes and cuisines that readers can expect to find in your book?
My food has always been global, and I’ve pulled from my own life experience to create dishes that are inspired by, for example, my heritage in the UK and my travels around Asia and Latin America.
Are there any signature recipes in your cookbook that you're particularly excited for readers to try?
The only two dishes that were signature were the Pork Scratchings with Guinness Foam & Billionaire Shortbread. The Test Kitchen was never about signature recipes, but about evolution.
How did you approach the recipe development process for this book? Were there any challenges you encountered?
There were huge challenges we encountered! Multiple edits later and a lot of grey hair, anxiety and time spent at the laptop for Carla, we managed to get all the recipes right!
Do you have any favourite ingredients or techniques that you believe are essential for modern home cooks to explore?
We do quite a bit of low and slow cooking with the sous vide technique, and use ingredients such as liquorice powder, which I find intriguing, but most of the recipes in the book can be done in a relatively conventional kitchen.
What role does research play in your cookbook writing, and how do you ensure the accuracy of your recipes and food knowledge?
We tested and retested all the recipes in the book multiple times. It was important for us to not miss a single step when putting each one down in writing.
Did you have any favourite moments or memorable experiences while writing this cookbook?
I enjoyed and savoured every moment. It was so exciting to go back in time and to recreate the recipes that we had done over the years. The high point was receiving the sample book in my hands!
How do you envision your cookbook being used by readers?
I think the book itself is a thing of beauty that people can page through at leisure, and absorb all its various elements. When you want to get involved in a recipe, it’s about saying, ‘Today I am going to do this one,’ then allocating a good few hours to it, and maybe even roping in your other half or a friend or two. Taking on one of the recipes from The Test Kitchen is about allowing yourself the time to be creative and just enjoy the process.
Do you have any tips or advice for readers who are looking to make the most of The Test Kitchen?
Just read it in little bits and absorb it one section at a time. I think that young aspiring chefs who really want to get into the restaurant industry will particularly enjoy the book and be inspired by it as a source of information for learning about new techniques and flavours.
The Test Kitchen is out now.
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