Today’s demo was all about pasta. Gillian Hegarty, head chef at Ballymaloe House popped in to teach us how to make the perfect pasta dough for noodles and stuffed pasta. Rory was along side, and made lots of lovely sauces, from very hearty, to the simplest of sauces to go with all of the different pastas she made. Can’t wait to have a pasta making party when I get home, another kind of “real dough” for Olivia to help with.
This morning was all about lamb – have I mentioned that I am over lamb? Well, I was never really on board with lamb, so I guess that’s my problem. I don’t mean that in a negative way, but I wasn’t brought up eating lamb, so I find it very strong in flavour. I still am very much enjoying learning about how to cook it and prepare it. Butchery on any level is very helpful to understand different cuts of meats, ways to save money, and gives you a general overall knowledge of the anatomy of four legged animals (in this case!). We were given a rack that we had to trim down, removing the feather bones, chine bone, shoulder blade, paddywhack, excessive fat (which lamb has a lot of at this time of year), and clean up the rib bones. We then roasted the rack in a few different ways, mine was done very simply with salt and pepper, served with a mint and apple chutney (delish!). I also made gravy, roasted Jerusalem artichokes, butter, spotted dog (white soda bread with raisins), and white yeast bread. On our technique sheets there are many things we have to do a minimum of three times, and others that we have to do at least once. Bread making is one of the things that we are encouraged to do as much as we can, and most of the breads we are expected to make three times or more. I have to make scones two more times and I have completed all of my bread making for the course – not to say that I will stop making bread now. I really enjoy making bread (incase you hadn’t figured that out!), and as it was with my first loaf on the course, I still get great satisfaction from making all of the different breads. Making the perfect dough, kneading it, knocking it back (oh, the air bubbles!), shaping it, letting it rise again, watching for oven spring (such joy!), and finally taking out the perfect loaf from the oven. It is a bit like looking at all of your preserves on the shelf in the basement, as Darina says, “they are like good deeds!”.
Over a glass of wine (or two!) after sour dough, Jeni, Erin, Mary and I went over our technique sheets, chatted a bit about our final menus, and the final written exams. I think I have my menu set for the exam, and am not too worried about the written exams – we will see if that changes over the next few weeks. A “practical & written examination explanatory booklet” was given out in today’s demo, and after going through the dates for our final exams… We only have fourteen days left in the kitchen – insanity! I know I say it over and over again, but where is time going?!
“It is really all about the pasta, the filling is flavouring the pasta really…” Gillian Hegarty