The Borough Market Cookbook: Recipes and stories from a year at the market

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Haigh, who was born in Singapore and whose mother is Singaporean, writes: “By tradition, Nonya Aunties engaged all their senses when they cooked. It was really important to gauge the smells and colour of the gravy; feel the warmth of the charcoal or wok heat; listen to the sizzle of the rempah, and the best bit, taste constantly. The Aunties cooked by agak agak or ‘guesstimation’.” Even the most Scrooge-like of characters would agree that the sights, sounds and smells make a visit at this time of the year a necessary ritual.’ Like the market, the book is exciting , instructive , seductive and inspirational .' - Claudia Roden Observers also noted similarities between some recipes. “Ginger is thought to have healing properties – pukol angin (to beat the toxic gases and dampness out of you to relieve aches and pains). This is why postnatal mothers were given lots of ginger to ‘beat the wind’,” writes Haigh. Wee had previously written: “Ginger is thought to pukol angin (beat the toxic gases and dampness out of you to relieve aches and pains). Hence, post-natal mothers were given lots of ginger to ‘beat the wind’.”

London's oldest market is a warren of smoking street food, old-school fruit-and-veg shops, charming pubs and a rising number of excellent restaurants. Whether you want fluffy bao buns or plates of glistening homemade pasta, fresh sourdough pizza or moreish tapas, you will not go hungry around here. But with only so many meals in a day, here are our favourite restaurants and food joints in and around Borough Market, the foodie hub of south London. For more options, see our guide to the best restaurants in London Bridge. How we choose the best restaurants in Borough This gorgeous book takes you on a tour of a year at the Market, from the beginning of spring, through Easter and Midsummer, to Apple Day in October and the switching on of the lights at Christmas - with the most delicious recipes highlighting the very best of those celebrations.Some of the attached recipe images below are darker than in the actual book...the light not playing in my favour!) The wonderful thing about this book is it connects the recipes to the experts at Borough Market. From practical tips on how to prepare fresh crab or fillet round fish to making sense of why seasonality matters, The Knowledge is essential reading for anyone who cares about good food.” but, the ‘LOOK INSIDE’ currently shows the first few in the book to get a feel for the general layout. There’s a modern-canteen feel to this restaurant, which bases its menus on what’s in the market that day. Food is cooked on a wood-fired grill, which makes for mighty flavoursome cheese burgers and delicious Barnsley chops.

Borough Market: The Knowledge provides stories, skills and expert advice from the market’s traders, plus over 80 exciting recipes from award-winning food writer Angela Clutton that will help you make the most of their exceptional produce. With stunning atmospheric photography, this is the definitive guide to shopping and cooking for every kitchen. Come away feeling confident and excited to use your newfound understanding of ingredients, armed with the market traders’ unrivalled expertise and delightful seasonal recipes. Borough Market: The Knowledge does exactly what it says on the tin. Delving into the unique expertise of Borough’s market traders, this book is an encyclopaedia and a celebration of the food, people, and energy of the Market. It’s the ultimate preamble for cooking!”Nine years earlier, Wee wrote: “It faced its many challenges along the way. It first started with converting her handwritten recipe measurements from katis and tahils (old Chinese measurements) and learning the different daun (or herbs) and rempah (spice pastes). Recipe testing in New York could be challenging. Shopping for ingredients necessary for our cuisine often entailed trekking down to Chinatown by subway with a large shopping trolley.” Perfect for this time of year: minted lamb meatballs in a light broth, studded with sweet sugar snap and mangetout peas. We are very excited to announce the upcoming publication of our new cookbook, Borough Market: The Knowledge. Available from 27 October, the book is rooted in the passion and expertise of the traders who form the beating heart of the Market.

Every restaurant on this list has been selected independently by our editors and written by a Condé Nast Traveller journalist who knows the destination and has eaten at that restaurant. When choosing restaurants, our editors consider both high end and affordable eateries that offer an authentic and insider experience of a destination. We're always looking for stand-out dishes, a great location and warm service – as well as serious sustainability credentials. We update this list regularly as new restaurants open and existing ones evolve. Wee writes: “Traditionally, the Nonyas engaged all their senses when they cooked – it was important to gauge the colour of the gravy, smell the aroma of the spices, feel the warmth of the charcoal heat, listen to the rhythm of the pounding and most importantly, taste the final product when the cooking is finished. As such, recipes passed down the generations were inexact. Cooking was by estimation or what the Nonyas called agak-agak.” At Borough Market, we don’t just sell good food and drink, we celebrate it. We enjoy how it tastes and the way it makes us feel, but we also appreciate its ability to connect us to the people who produced it and the places it was made. Wee said in a statement that she wrote her book, a mix of cookbook and memoir, “in loving memory of my mother”, recreating personalised recipes and researching her heritage. “I credit her and her peers for their anecdotes, recipes and cooking tips. This was their story,” she said. “I was therefore distressed to discover that certain recipes and other content from my book had been copied or paraphrased without my consent in Makan by Elizabeth Haigh, and I immediately brought this matter to the attention of the book’s publisher, Bloomsbury Absolute. I am grateful that Bloomsbury has responded to my concerns by withdrawing Makan from circulation.”It is worth noting that it is a market, so the occasional illustration may be a touch sensitive to some. Across eight chapters, each devoted to a different category of stall, from the butchers to the greengrocers to the cheesemongers, that collective knowledge is brought to life through more than 80 recipes by Angela Clutton, award-winning food writer, Borough Market Cookbook Club host and Borough Talks podcasts presenter. With typical warmth and clarity, Angela explores how the traders’ expertise can be brought to bear in turning Market produce into stunning dishes. The book also distils their wisdom into features, interviews, tips and guides that demystify unfamiliar ingredients and processes, and explains not just what to buy (and why) but how to store it, cook it and serve it. By the main arch into Borough Market, this hand-made-pasta restaurant by the crew who run dreamy Trullo in Highbury does a delizioso tagliarini with brown shrimp, courgettes and chilli, as well as Trullo classic papardelle with eight-hour Dexter-beef-shin ragu. A crowd favourite, Padella is not just one of the best Italian restaurants in Borough – it's adored across London. Each chapter includes some articles on market related topics e.g. about a trader, a scene or event, This intimate little Mexican taqueria right next to the market was opened by the boys behind Barrafina and Quo Vadis. Come here for the memorably scrumptious tacos with chargrilled stone bass, caramelised onions and La Maya salsa, best enjoyed over a caraf of mezcal.

During December the dark green arches, corrugated ceilings, glass-roofed halls, and umbrella-topped stalls are adorned with fir and foliage, decorations made from Market-sourced fruits, herbs and spices, paper-chains carrying wishes and tidings of joy, and a good number of baubles, ribbons and twinkling fairy lights. A cookbook by former MasterChef contestant and restaurant owner Elizabeth Haigh has been quietly pulled from circulation by its publisher after Haigh was accused of copying recipes by another author.This cookbook is rooted in the passion and expertise of our fellow traders at Borough Market, whose in-depth knowledge of their ingredients are second to none. Each of the book's eight chapters is devoted to a different category of stall you'll find at this historic market: fishmongers, butchers, two different sections on stalls offering cupboard ingredients (spices, pulses, dry goods), greengrocers, fruiterers, dairy, and baked goods. Their wisdom is shared via features, interviews, tips and guides that demystify unfamiliar ingredients and processes. It explains not just what to buy (and why), but how to store it, cook it and serve it. Each section includes relevant recipes by Angela Clutton, award-winning food writer, Borough Market Cookbook Club host and Borough Talks podcasts presenter. The book includes over 80 recipes, with dishes like Parsnip Gnocchi and Smoked Garlic Butter, Moong Dal Dosa with Masala Potatoes and Tomato Chutney, and Jasmine Tea Loaf with Salted Lime Butter. Haigh, who owns a restaurant, Mei Mei, in Borough Market, London, and competed in the BBC MasterChef competition in 2011, writes in Makan: “I faced many challenges along the way. It began with my having to translate hard-to-read handwritten notes, or convert measurements, and moved on to learning about the different daun (herbs) or rempahs (spice pastes). Technique aside, ingredients were hard to find, but thankfully I was just a bus ride away from Chinatown in central London.” I love that we can learn from the traders themselves – their skills, dedication, company, banter and spirit make the Market the success it is. Angela’s wizardry and food knowledge and friendliness and cheer add even more magic to this book.” A whiff of mulled wine, cider, warm-spiced apple juice – or all three – greets shoppers as they round each bend, the bakery stalls are laden with mince pies and there’s even a specialist Christmas pudding vendor on hand for those who’ve not got round to stirring their own. Steamed, grilled, fried, and served plain or slathered in garlic butter, since 1999 this restaurant has been specialising in all things fishy. With produce sourced directly from the market outside, their passion is poisson – whether you want a decadent lobster, a classic fish pie or wild halibut fish and chips, it’s all impressively fresh and respectfully cooked.