A Typical Day on the Course
Describing a typical day on the course is tough because every day is so different.
The common thread is that we cook what we eat and eat what we cook. So each day is structured around working to produce lunch and dinner.
For the ‘duty chefs’ the working day begins at 8 a.m. making bread. Occasionally we start with an early visit to the local market.
The Morning Session
The teaching proper begins at 9.a.m when we’ll talk for about 40 minutes. We’ll discuss what we’re going to be doing and I will allocate recipes that we will be covering that day. I try to avoid long sessions on theory; however I may demonstrate a technique – with a maximum of just five students you’ll get to practice just about every technique at some point in the course, though you won’t all be cooking the same thing at the same time.
We work until about 1.p.m, .when we stop for lunch: dishes are lighter and a little simpler than the food we prepare for dinner
The Afternoon & Evening
After lunch we cook again until around 4.30 p.m., building on the morning’s work and fitting in biscuits, cakes and any technique or recipe that a student may feel the need to repeat. Final preparation for dinner starts at 6.p.m. Working in pairs students take it in turn to be in charge, making a plan of work and supervising the service of the food. Once a week we have an informal wine tasting. We seem to always have a glass of wine in our hands by about 7.p.m!
We serve dinner at around 8 p.m. and are usually finished around 9.30.p.m.
We do work hard, but we also have a lot of fun. We listen to music in the kitchen and are pretty laid back. I believe that in order to learn you must be able to relax and enjoy what you are doing, and I like to think that we achieve the right atmosphere and balance between hard work and enjoyment.The Food
We cover a huge variety of dishes and styles of cooking during the course, including:
- Tian of Avocado, Tomato and Crab, with Lemon Oil and Basil
- Seared Pepper and Goats Cheese Tartlets
- Cannelloni of Prawns with Tarragon Hollandaise
- Gratin of Summer Vegetables
- Butterfly Leg of Lamb marinated with Juniper and Red Wine with Roasted Vegetable Stacks
- Spatchcocked Persian Chicken with Jewelled Rice and Pomegranates
- Fillet of Beef with Cabbage Parcels and Chocolate Sauce
- Thai Beef Salad with Grapes, Coriander and Sesame
- Sparkling Fruit Terrine
- Milles Feuilles with Raspberry Parfait
- Tarte Tatin with Calvados Sauce Anglaise