Fergus Henderson's Roasted Bone Marrow and Parsley Salad

Fergus Henderson is known for making eating offal stylish again in the Western world. Anthony Bourdain cites Henderson's London restaurant, St. John, as his favorite, ever. Bourdain even says his death row meal would be Henderson's bone marrow and parsley salad, which has popped up on the menus of several top-notch American restaurants. Naturally, upon my acquisition of Henderson's The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating, this simple starter was among the first recipes I tried while cooking dinner with my sister last weekend.

Henderson uses veal bones; my sister located some mature beef bones at a Berkeley butcher, which worked well. We scooped the marrow out with a small spoon (okay, fine, chopsticks. it's easier.), spread on toast, topped with sea salt, and parsley salad (parsley, shallot, capers, lemon vinaigrette). Buttery, savory, manly, and delicious.

My own previous experiences with bone marrow have been isolated to Chinese food, kind of an afterthought, but equally as enjoyable. Have your parents ever told you to pick up that beef bone from your soup and suck on the end of it? Have you ever been to a hot pot restaurant, where at the conclusion of the meal, they bring out plastic straws for you to puncture the leftover beef bones and enjoy your dessert with? These Chinese were all telling you to not let that tasty marrow go to waste. Luckily, the Westerners are now doing the same in their own way, and man, is it awesome.