A Cooking Experience To Treasure
Cookery Session FeedbackBackMy wife and I arrived at Baslow Hall just before 9.00 a.m. relaxed and ready for what promised to be a thoroughly enjoyable culinary education from a team of top chefs. We were definitely not disappointed. Prior to our visit, we had made a few suggestions about the activities we would like to include in our morning in the kitchen and after introductions over a welcoming cup of coffee we donned our aprons ready to start work.
My wife spent most of the morning working in the pastry section making the breads to be used in the lunch service whilst I learned about the art of preparing pasta dough. Working closely with one of the chefs, I helped to prepare a salmon and crab filling and then used it to make ravioli and tortellini.
Throughout the morning, each technique we used was explained fully and demonstrated with complete clarity. We were encouraged to ask questions and to move to other workstations when we saw something of interest to us. For example, we were given demonstrations and advice on the butchering of a whole sirloin of beef, and the preparation of stocks and a delicious red wine sauce. A final demonstration before the start of lunch service was the making of a Pumpkin Panna Cotta.
As the first orders for lunch arrived in the kitchen, we were impressed by the calm way in which each dish was assembled and finished for serving. It was at this stage that we were able to appreciate fully the need for careful and thorough preparation of the ingredients.
The session ended with lunch chosen from the menu of the day but with the addition of a couple of the dishes we had helped to prepare during the morning. A personalised menu, signed by the whole team, was the ‘icing on the cake’.
We have both attended courses in cookery schools but without doubt, this was the most valuable and thoroughly enjoyable cooking and learning experience we have ever had. We were impressed by the ability of the chefs to pass on their knowledge and skills. Without doubt, this event represented outstanding value for money and we will certainly return on a future occasion to continue our education.
