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Heston Blumenthal's Last Meal Would Be A Classic Dish Prepared By Himself

Have you considered what you would like your last meal to be? Some celebrities like John Lennon had simple but surprising final meals before their deaths. The Beatles alum had a corned beef sandwich prior to his tragic assassination, whereas the jazz crooner Frank Sinatra ate a classic childhood dish for his last meal – a gooey grilled cheese. Some chefs have also imagined their last meals, such as Gordon Ramsay and Ina Garten, with Ramsay wanting it to include his most iconic dish of beef Wellington and Garten opting for a hot dog. The thought process is rather morbid but makes for some surprising revelations. For instance, English celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal shared in the 2011 book, "My Last Supper: The Next Course: 50 More Great Chefs and Their Final Meals," by Melanie Dunea, that he would want his final meal to be a family affair.

The famed restaurateur told the author that he would want to enjoy a Sunday roast with his family as his final dinner. He envisioned enjoying the hearty, traditional meal on top of a mountain with his loved ones, and then they would ski down a long slope. Blumenthal has high expectations for the final meal as he named several side dishes he would like served with the roast beef, along with a delicious wine. To make sure everything is prepared perfectly, he would prepare it himself, natch. "I'd have to. I couldn't get someone else to make my last supper. I wouldn't do the washing up, though," he said.

What is a Sunday roast?

A Sunday roast is a traditional dinner served in the United Kingdom on — you guessed it! — Sundays. The dinner has origins dating back to 1485 during King Henry VII's rule. Over the years, people would prepare a large slab of beef on the day and consume any leftovers throughout the week. Now, a modern Sunday roast, served in homes or at restaurants, tends to consist of a slab of roast beef and sides, including an array of vegetables, Yorkshire pudding, and roasted potatoes.

Heston Blumenthal knows exactly what he wants on the platter for his Sunday roast, starting with the popular Yorkshire pudding, which is a bready, baked savory pudding. Yorkshire puddings go well with a roast as they can be filled with gravy from the roast. The chef then listed a few elevated vegetable dishes, including, "carrots confit with caraway salt, and runner beans with shallots, braised radishes, and chopped parsley." While carrots confit has a fancy name, it is just carrots cooked in fat. Blumenthal, however, finishes his off with caraway salt (Merchant Spice Co.'s Roasted Caraway Salt is one option), a delightful mixture of sea salt and caraway seeds. The aromatic spice has a strong licorice taste with notes of citrus and spice to balance it out. The other two sides are just as simple once broken down. Runner beans are the same as pole beans. The beans can be boiled and then topped with the mentioned ingredients. Lastly, Blumenthal would have "roast potatoes, absolutely," and "slices of bone marrow," both prepared to perfection.

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