Five Fat Hens (eBook)

I was born at home just in time for lunch – the doctor lured me out with a cold roast chicken sandwich. Dad had just popped downstairs to make up a few rounds – one for the doctor, another for the midwife and one for himself. Mum was busy...' So says Tim Halket in the introduction to his engaging and original book, Five Fat Hens. A love of eating and good ingredients led Tim to build a hen house in the corner of his garden for a daily harvest of fresh eggs.

His take on the role of keeping chickens is amusing and insightful but this book is more than just a DIY guide to keeping a few free range birds, or a new slant on a chicken themed cookbook. Much in the style of Nigel Slater's Kitchen Diaries, it takes the reader through an entire year, month by month, skillfully interweaving the author's passion for cooking in diary form with his recipes, his thoughts and observations and with the premise that even the smallest garden can be home to a supply of the freshest eggs imaginable. Tim is neither a trained chef nor a small-holding farmer, his recipes draw on his real experience in the kitchen and he reproduces food that he enjoys cooking on a daily basis for his family and friends. He ranges from the highly original such as Duelos y Quebrantos and Persian Chicken Supper through variations on everyday Italian or French classics to simple and comforting nursery food.

This timely book passionately describes an appealing style of life and will inspire all food lovers whether they intend to keep chickens or not.

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A foodie turned poultry farmer offers a practical guide to raising chickens in this part memoir, part chicken and egg cookbook.   A love of eating and using quality ingredients led Tim Halket to build a hen house in the corner of his garden for a daily harvest of fresh eggs. Five Fat Hens is his insightful, often humorous, take on just what it’s like to raise chickens at home. More than a DIY guide to keeping a few free-range birds, this cookbook is part memoir and part lifestyle manual. Halket takes readers through an entire year, skillfully combining meditations on his passion for cooking with original recipes, all starting with the premise that even the smallest garden can include a supply of delicious, fresh eggs.   Neither a trained chef nor an experienced farmer, Tim’s tips and recipes draw on his learning experiences and love for culinary experimentation. With recipes ranging from the highly original Duelos y Quebrantos and Persian Chicken Supper to variations on everyday Italian or French classics, to simple comfort food, this timely book is an engaging account of one man’s appealing lifestyle that will inspire food lovers everywhere—whether they intend to keep chickens or not.   “Good recipes, engagingly told.” —The Spectator