Flicking through his new Burnt Ends cookbook, you might think Dave Pynt is being attention-seekingly over the top, expletives littered everywhere, a bit like that try-hard potty mouth Mark Manson and his The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. Only the thing is, Dave Pynt really swears a lot.
He swears about butter, “because butter is f*cking delicious.” He swears about stopping drinking, “because if I do I just can’t get sh*t done.” And he swears about his new cookbook, called Burnt Ends, which he hopes will make people, “really f*cking happy.”
Readers Of Dave Pynt’s Burnt Ends Cookbook Should Be F*cking Happy
And they should be really f*cking happy (he’s got us doing it now) because the book is totally expose-yourself-to-the-world transparent. 76 recipes. The ones they swear by at Burnt Ends. Ones for dishes like his iconic beef marmalade.
“If I could go back in time and meet 2013 Dave Pynt I would give him the beef marmalade recipe and say ‘put that on the f*cking menu immediately!'” he exclaims. “I’d also tell him to be less volatile and drink less!”
That’s not to say he’s reformed. “With two kids and a busy restaurant I just don’t have time to drink anymore,” he shrugs.
The Burnt Ends Cookbook Is A Force Of Nature Like It’s Creator
The cookbook, like its creator, is a force of nature: 368 pages of smoking hot kitchen magic that dives deep into the Burnt Ends universe. It’s not just recipes – it’s a journey into the heart of what makes this Singapore institution tick. Working with Australian culinary writer Max Veenhuyzen, Pynt breaks down everything from hot smoking to cold smoking, torching to ashing, and every conceivable technique for getting that perfect char.
The visual feast comes courtesy of Fool Magazine’s Per-Anders Jörgensen, whose 350 photographs capture the raw energy of the kitchen, the precision of the techniques, and the stunning final presentations. But this isn’t just another pretty face in the cookbook world – there’s substance behind every glossy page, printed on three different paper stocks. Even the manga by Ryan Inzana and illustrations by Ien Levin add layers to the storytelling.
Zero Percent Art, Zero Percent Science
It’s very arty, we venture, a bit like the upper echelons of the chef profession. “What percent scientist and what percent artisan am I?” Dave asks. “Probably 0% and 0%,” he jokes.
“But, I guess, what we’d expect from the team is for them to be 40% scientist and 60% artisan.” This balance shows in every recipe, where precision meets intuition in a dance of fire and flavor.
Take his approach to butter. When his team makes sauces, he’ll taste them and usually question their integrity. “Did you put any butter in this? Stop being such a p*ssy and load it up,” he’ll say. The same goes for potato puree. “Do it until it’s literally about to break. Until you’re questioning whether this is potato with butter in it. Or is this butter with potato in it?”
Of all his recipes in the book, though, the turbot holds a special place. “I f*cking love turbot. I love cooking whole fish – all the parts, the shoulder and the tail, respond differently. It’s extremely daunting and challenging to get right. But if you nail it, it’s f*cking awesome.”
Raw Honesty And Kitchen Mishaps At Dave Pynt’s Burnt Ends Singapore
This raw honesty extends to kitchen mishaps. “I’ve been relatively mishap free — which is good considering the close proximity of the guests at the counter to us cooking. No ripped pants. No f*ck ups. But someone did once dropped an OP rib that had been cooking for an hour and a half. The guest is on the main course and waiting. Disaster. Thankfully, I don’t need to apply pressure to someone who f*cks up, because they know they f*cked up.” It’s a mellower Pynt than the volatile chef of 2013, but the intensity remains – just channeled differently.
The book isn’t just for professional chefs. Sure, you might not have the custom grills and ovens that make Burnt Ends famous, but Pynt’s techniques and philosophies can translate to any kitchen brave enough to play with fire. After reading this book, you’ll either be booking a flight to Singapore or figuring out how to MacGyver your backyard grill into something worthy of a Burnt Ends-style cookout.
The Burnt Ends Rule Book: “No f*cking around. No passing go. No collecting $300.”
The recent move to Dempsey Hill during COVID exemplifies his approach: original venue closes Saturday, new venue opens Tuesday: “No f*cking around. No passing go. No collecting $300.” Just pure, unfiltered Burnt Ends. This same spirit infuses every page of the cookbook – it’s honest, direct, and absolutely uncompromising in its pursuit of perfection.
For home cooks intimidated by the prospect of tackling restaurant-level recipes, Pynt has a message: “My philosophy is I want people to cook our recipes. And hopefully be really f*cking happy with them and not be like these guys are f*cked hey.” It’s this combination of high standards and accessibility that makes both the restaurant and now the cookbook such compelling propositions.
So, whether you’re a professional chef looking to up your game or a home cook ready to push your boundaries, this cookbook delivers more than just recipes – it’s a masterclass in the art of cooking with fire, wrapped in a philosophy that demands excellence while embracing the occasional f*ck-up. Just remember the house rules: Do not f*ck around. Do not pass go. Do not collect $300.
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