David Beckham sends obscure recipe book that teaches you to cook over open flames to top of Amazon bestseller list after raving about it on Desert Island Discs

  • David Beckham picked Mallmann on Fire by Francis Malmann on Radio 4 show
  • The 2014 book is a guide to cooking on open fires in remotest parts of world
  • It's now in the top 0.1 per cent of sales on Amazon and has sold out
  • Mallmann cooked for Beckham and best friend Guy Ritchie back in October 

By Imogen Blake For Mailonline

Published: 09:06 EST, 3 February 2017 | Updated: 13:29 EST, 3 February 2017

Sales of an obscure recipe book teaching you how to cook on an open fire in the remotest parts of the world have skyrocketed after unlikely fan David Beckham raved about it on Desert Island Discs.

The footballing legend, 41, said he would bring eccentric Argentinian chef Francis Mallmann's Mallmann On Fire with him if he was stranded on a desert island on the BBC Radio 4 show. 

And since his glowing appraisal, sales of the obscure cookbook have shot through the roof, selling out on Amazon and leaving other retailers scrambling to restock.

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Francis Mallman (pictured) is an eccentric Argentinian chef who has been called a master of barbecuing and grilling. He often erects elaborate barbecues and cooks over open fires

Francis Mallman (pictured) is an eccentric Argentinian chef who has been called a master of barbecuing and grilling. He often erects elaborate barbecues and cooks over open fires

Beckham met Mallmann in October after the chef cooked a feast for the footballing legend (pictured) and his best friend Guy Ritchie using an eccentric log fire ring barbecue

Beckham met Mallmann in October after the chef cooked a feast for the footballing legend (pictured) and his best friend Guy Ritchie using an eccentric log fire ring barbecue

In Mallmann's book Mallmann On Fire, the chef grills food in some of the remotest parts of the world including a mountaintop and on a beach - perfect for Beckham's imaginary getaway

In Mallmann's book Mallmann On Fire, the chef grills food in some of the remotest parts of the world including a mountaintop and on a beach - perfect for Beckham's imaginary getaway

Mallmann, 61, who has been branded an 'expert on cooking with fire', grills food in the snow, on a beach, on the top of a mountain and in the middle of a crowded street in his 2014 cookbook - perfect for Becks's dream getaway. 

Of what he would take with him to the desert island, Becks told presenter Kirsty Young: 'One of my passions, On Fire by Francis Mallmann.

'It teaches you to cook anywhere, so if I was stuck on an island, I could rustle up something.'

It's pushed the book into the top 0.1 per cent of sales on the bookselling website and it's currently 1,300th on the Amazon bestseller list out of 1.5 million books. In just a couple of days, it had sold out.

WHAT'S IN MALLMANN ON FIRE?

In Mallmann's book, Mallmann on Fire, the chef cooks in remote parts of the world on open fires, such as a mountain top (pictured)

In Mallmann's book, Mallmann on Fire, the chef cooks in remote parts of the world on open fires, such as a mountain top (pictured)

Mallmann On Fire is a sequel to the Argentinian chef's 2009 book Seven Fires, which claims to 'maximise flavour with wood-fired cooking'.

Many reviewers on Amazon have praised it as a 'must have for food lovers' - but others aren't convinced.

As much a travel guide as a cookbook, the book contains 100 recipes and documents Mallmann's travels all over the world.

The so-called 'master of the Argentine grill' cooks in some of the most extreme landscapes in the world: in snow, on mountaintops, on the beach, on the crowded streets of Manhattan, on a deserted island in Patagonia.

His journey takes him to Paris, Brooklyn, Bolinas, Brazil - and each location inspires the 100 recipes in the book. 

In the book, the eccentric chef showcases his unusual cooking methods, from hanging legs of lamb and chicken on strings, and coal-roasting squash, to griddling and charring all kinds of meats, vegetables, and fruits. 

Some reviewers of Mallman's book have praised his unusual cooking style, but others have accused him of producing an 'ego-driven lifestyle book'

Some reviewers of Mallman's book have praised his unusual cooking style, but others have accused him of producing an 'ego-driven lifestyle book'

Amazon reviewers have praised Mallmann's book as 'amazing', calling it a must-have for food lovers. 

Jason Kavanagh said: 'Great book, it's just as much about Francis as it is about the food.

'Makes you want to go to middle of nowhere, build a fire and cook.'

But not all readers were so enamoured with the 'ego-driven lifestyle book'.

Reviewer Wendy said: 'This is a picture book, an ego-driven "lifestyle" book, with over forty pictures of Mallmann in romantic locations, poses and costumes.

'Then there are South American landscapes, a double-page spread of sea-lions sunbathing, another of Mallmann stroking horses - and oh, sure, some recipes too.

'The recipes are very simple, (sometimes even crude) but many are interesting and well-written.

'I do ask myself who wrote them though, since I've never known a professional cook to use cups and ounces.' 

Beckham pretended to barbecue himself along with charring pineapples on string inside an elaborate wire cage barbecue erected by Mallmann last October in a funny video on Instagram

Beckham pretended to barbecue himself along with charring pineapples on string inside an elaborate wire cage barbecue erected by Mallmann last October in a funny video on Instagram

Sales of Mallmann's (centre) book have soared after David Beckham gave it a rave review on Desert Island Discs on Sunday

Sales of Mallmann's (centre) book have soared after David Beckham gave it a rave review on Desert Island Discs on Sunday

Francis Mallmann (pictured) has been called the 'master of the Argentine grill' and was featured on Netflix's Chef's Table

Francis Mallmann (pictured) has been called the 'master of the Argentine grill' and was featured on Netflix's Chef's Table

Rob Richardson, spokesman for UK distributor Melia Publishing Services, which publishes the book, said: 'After the broadcast, we were contacted by Amazon to say that they had experienced high demand for the book, and we immediately went out of stock within a couple of days.

'Luckily, by chance - as we had obviously had no idea that this was going to happen - we had a reprint on its way to us, so the book will be back in stock next week.

Francis Mallmann published Mallmann On Fire in 2014 

Francis Mallmann published Mallmann On Fire in 2014 

'We expect to see a continued surge in sales due to the 'Beckham boost' as we are calling it.' 

Back in October, Beckham met Mallman while on a boys' night in Surrey with his best friend Guy Ritchie, 48.

In a video Becks posted to Instagram, Mallmann, who was the subject of an episode of Chef's Table on Netflix, set up an elaborate barbecue where pineapples could be seen hanging from a wire cage over a circle of roaring log fires.

And ever the joker, you can hear director Ritchie laugh as Beckham pretends to barbecue himself by getting in the middle of the log fire ring. 

He wrote on the picture-sharing website: 'Thank you to Mr Francis Mallmann for an unforgettable and never done before BBQ ... Also to Mr Ritchie for always being the graceful host...

'Lovely day in the country .. Btw don't try this at home it was carefully watched by Francis and his amazing team...'  

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