Week two is over, I’m looking forward to the weekend, but also excited to get into the kitchen again on Monday morning.
My morning started off with ripping off a pollock’s head, and then fileting the fish for my fish pie. I was able to make white soda bread again, which was nice. My béchamel, bread crumbs, and Duchesse Potatoes for my pie, turned out so well. Finished my marmalade – hoping I can sneak a jar through customs at the end of the course. I also made a simple salad of water cress, blue cheese, pear and candied spice nuts – delish! Fileting the fish added quite a bit of time to my morning, the teachers get three students together, and help each of us filet, so it takes quite a bit longer than you’d think. Anyway, it was still a good day, I’m sad to be leaving Florrie’s section, still not sure who my teacher is next week but I think it is Finola. I will be cooking a slow roasted shoulder of lamb with cumin seeds, gravy, glazed carrots, and chocolate mousse on Monday. Darina made brown soda bread in demo this afternoon, I forgot how much I love it, with butterr, so tasty.
Demo started off the same way as the morning’s cooking, Phillip (Darina and Tim’s son in law), was ready with a saw, boning knife and half of a lamb, we had a brief introduction to butchery. Which is very interesting, not something I would want to get hardcore about, but interesting none the less. There are two types of lamb, a spring lamb which is born before Christmas, and ready to eat by Easter, then lamb that is eaten at Christmas. Hogget is lamb after Christmas, and finally mutton is 2 – 2 years plus. Moving along, we talked about a proper roast dinner (you can imagine how exciting this was for me, even if it was lamb!), and all of the trimmings. Next week we do beef and chicken I think, shrimp and prawns, burgers, homemade sausages… Oh it’ll be a good week!
Went into Midelton with Denise tonight, the speed limit on the roads (country roads!) is 80 km / hour, and it is DARK and windy, and people drive even faster than that, it’s crazy. I’m just back now, having a glass of wine, and going to do my order of work for Monday. Trying to decide if I should go into the pub tonight, or stay home, decisions!
“If it’s going to be traditional, keep it traditional.” Darina Allen
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- View from the kitchen in The White Cottage.
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- Phillip, Darina, and a half lamb.
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- Weekend fun at cooking school – jointing a chicken, buttermilk for soda bread, and some wine!
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- View from the dining room at lunch.
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- The sun was shining today!
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- Was able to hang my bedding out on the line this afternoon!
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- My Fish Pie with Duchesse Potatoes
