Petite, polite and pretty, Sally Clarke doesn't strike you, when you meet her, as the sort of person who would have the requisite strength to run a very successful London restaurant plus an equally successful bakery and shop alongside it.
It's just that she expresses her strength in a very subtle way. That she is single-minded is obvious in the most distinctive aspect of her Kensington restaurant, Clarke's: She doesn't offer diners a choice of menu, insisting instead on serving only seasonal, freshly picked and caught ingredients, which she considers to be at their best.
It's an idea she adopted from another great and subtle female restaurateur, Alice Waters of California's Chez Panisse, and Clarke has made it work for almost two decades now, ever since she opened in 1984.
Her philosophy of cooking, as expressed in her book of recipes, Sally Clarke's Book, which this year won the Glenfiddich prize for book of the year, chimes perfectly with the philosophies of many of the best women chefs. Writing about trips to Chez Panisse, she states: "Alice Waters's restaurant is still my favoured touchstone, where I often book lunch, dinner, lunch, dinner over a two-day stay in the San Francisco area. There is still so much for me to absorb and learn there."
This modesty underpins her book, which is a delightful, wise and subtle collection of cooking ideas. What Clarke likes to do is put a fresh, simplified spin on a standard recipe idea. Her lovely Caesar salad, for example, or her version of Piedmontese peppers, are both slightly nuanced, slightly re-thought versions of classic ideas, and she is not afraid of the utmost simplicity: A recipe for a simple dish of carrots and peas from the Au Pactole restaurant in Paris where she worked as an unpaid commis chef appears here in all its uncontrived brilliance.
At a time when cookery books are marketed with a phalanx of in-your-face television programmes, it is rewarding that such an elegant and considered text as Sally Clarke's Book can not only get published, but also win prizes. Here are two delicious ideas from the book.
Sally Clarke's Book (Macmillan £25)
Honey-Roasted Belgian Endives and Parsnips
12 small parsnips, peeled, with tops and tails trimmed
6 medium-sized Belgian endives (chicory)
50g unsalted butter
60ml olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoon chopped thyme
Maldon salt, pepper
1 tablespoon chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves
Preheat the oven to 180C/350 F/gas mark 4. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the parsnips until they have just started to lose their firmness, approximately 10 minutes. Drain and place in a gratin dish or another oven-proof dish. Halve the endives or cut them length-wise into four, depending on the size, remove as much of the bitter core as possible (without releasing the leaves) with a small sharp knife, and arrange the pieces neatly with the parsnips. In a small pan heat the butter, olive oil, honey, thyme, salt and pepper until bubbling and drizzle over the vegetables evenly. Roast for up to 20 minutes or until the vegetables have begun to caramelise and soften. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately.
Apple Brown Betty
For the Topping:
50g butter
150g fresh breadcrumbs
50g brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon mixed spice
For the apple:
1.6kg Bramley apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
150g sugar
25g butter
To serve:
Whipped cream or creme fraiche
Heat the butter in a shallow heavy-based pan. Add the breadcrumbs and stir continuously over a medium-high heat as they become crisp. When they have turned golden remove them from the heat and stir in the sugar and spices. Allow them to cool.
Place the apples in a heavy-based stainless-steel pan with a splash of water and the sugar. Heat gently, cover with a lid and stir occasionally. A smooth puree with a few lumps will result after 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the butter and taste for sweetness, although the apples should retain most of their inherent sharpness.
Serve the warm apple in warm bowls sprinkled with a generous amount of crumbs and lots of whipped cream or creme fraiche.
Sally Clarke's Book is published by Macmillan, £25 in UK