In 2008 journalist Martin Walker published the first of his Bruno, Chief of Police novels. Fifteen books later, the internationally bestselling series continues to delight readers with murder, mystery — and delicious food.

Walker has called the books a love letter to his adopted home of the Périgord region of southwestern France, where he lives in an old farmhouse with his wife, food writer Julia Watson. Indeed, the tales of Bruno take readers into the rich history of the area and its culinary traditions.

The character of Benoît Courrèges – nicknamed “Bruno” – loves to cook and is perhaps known as much for transforming the bounty of his garden into elaborate meals as his ability to crack a case.

Now Walker and his wife Julia Watson have released a cookbook that brings together many of Bruno’s culinary creations. They join Diane this Thanksgiving week to talk about “Bruno’s Cookbook: Recipes and Traditions from a French Country Kitchen” and share a couple of Bruno’s favorite recipes.

Recipes from “Bruno’s Cookbook”

From Bruno’s Cookbook: Recipes and Traditions from a French Country Kitchen © 2023 by Walker and Watson, Ltd. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Cold Leek and Potato and Sorrel Soup / Vichyssoise et crème d’oseille

Bruno’s Cold leek and potato and sorrel soup. Klaus-Maria Einwanger

Bruno considers this his first-course chef d’oeuvre. It always impresses, making a splash as much for the contrast in flavor of the creamy potato soup with the sharpness of the sorrel soup as for its presentation. The trick to this is simple. Decant each soup into a separate jug. With one on either side of the bowl, pour them simultaneously so the two soups wash against each other in a neat line. Each soup, served cold or hot, is also good on its own.

Ingredients:

For the Vichyssoise

1 1/2 cups (13 ounces / 375 grams) peeled, diced russet potato

1/3 cup (3 ounces / 100 grams) peeled, finely chopped yellow onion

1 1/4 cups (101/2 ounces / 300 grams) peeled, washed, and finely chopped leek (white part only)

2 tablespoons duck fat or unsalted butter

2 cups (17 fluid ounces / 1/2 liter) chicken stock

Salt and white pepper, to taste

1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces / 120 milliliters) light cream

Half a small bunch of fresh chives, finely chopped (optional)

For the Crème d’Oseille

11/4 cups (10 ounces / 300 grams) sorrel, washed, stripped of its stalks (or substitute spinach)

1 large russet potato, peeled, cut into cubes

1/3 cup (23/4 ounces / 75 grams) duck fat or unsalted butter

2 cups (17 fluid ounces / 1/2 liter) water

A few gratings or a pinch of nutmeg if using spinach in place of sorrel

4 tablespoons light cream

Salt and ground white pepper, to taste

Small bunch of fresh chives, finely chopped (optional)

Directions

To make the vichyssoise: Sweat the potato, onion, and leek in the duck fat or butter over gentle heat for 10 minutes to soften, turning them frequently and making sure they don’t brown. Add stock or water, and simmer until the potato is cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool; then purée in a blender. Season to taste, sieve, and pour into a jug. Chill at least 2 hours or overnight; then dilute with the cream.

To make the crème d’oseille: If the sorrel is mature, hold each leaf by its stalk in one hand and, with the other, pull the green leaf along and off the stalk with finger and thumb together; discard the stalk. This isn’t necessary if the sorrel is young, when the whole leaf can be used.

Stir the sorrel and potato over gentle heat in duck fat or melted butter in a medium saucepan until the sorrel has wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the water. Simmer for 15 minutes, till the potato has cooked. If you have used spinach instead of sorrel, add a few gratings or a pinch of nutmeg. Take off the heat, and let it cool a little; then pour the soup into a blender and blitz to a purée. Add the cream, season to taste. Sieve the soup to eliminate any fibers. Decant into a jug and chill.

When you’re ready to serve, slowly pour the two chilled soups from opposite sides of each bowl simultaneously into the center of each bowl and, if you like, sprinkle with a few chives to decorate.

Belgian endives baked in honey / Endives au miel

Bruno’s Belgian endives baked in honey. Klaus-Maria Einwanger

The pleasure of this dish lies in the contrast between bitter and sweet, like a good Negroni. It goes well with grilled or roasted meat, particularly roast ham, but on its own makes an extremely satisfying casual supper, served with bread to mop up the juices.

The pleasure of this dish lies in the contrast between bitter and sweet, like a good Negroni. It goes well with grilled or roasted meat, particularly roast ham, but on its own makes an extremely satisfying casual supper, served with bread to mop up the juices.

Ingredients

6 heads of Belgian endive (witloof)

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

4 tablespoons well- flavored honey

Directions

Trim the base of each Belgian endive making sure the leaves are still attached, and remove any damaged outer leaves. If they are particularly fat, halve them lengthwise. Melt the butter in a pan, and turn the endives in it. Season with salt and pepper then cover the pan and let them sweat and stew in their own juices over very low heat. Turn them regularly as each side becomes gold, until they have softened completely. Depending on their size, this will take 30 to 40 minutes. If they are browning too fast, add water, a tablespoon at a time. Test them for tenderness with the point of a knife. Don’t allow them to burn or their bitterness will become too emphatic. Add the honey, season if necessary with more salt and pepper, roll the endives thoroughly in the mixture, replace the lid and stew them another 5 minutes then turn them out onto a warmed serving dish, and pour the cooking juices over them.

Note: Because the honey plays a significant role, it’s worth using a good one, from a dedicated artisan small-batch producer, that has a discernible flavor.