Why methods?
We teach techniques, not recipes – because techniques are the building blocks of great cooking. All our chefs are either trade qualified or Le Cordon Bleu trained, and we teach the way we were taught – using a ‘see it, do it’ model. This means that for most classes our chef instructors use ‘running demos’ where they show you the skill and then you copy it – with assistance from your instructor as needed. And in our express classes you will cook at the same time as the chef, following their lead. We will give you an ingredients list and a method for each class, but you do not have to use it.
Our chefs will explain patiently and walk you through each class. And if your dish doesn’t work out, that is OK – we run most classes 3 or 4 times a week so you can always come and try again! Failure is part of learning.
Use these methods below to practice at home.
Chicken paella (v – seasonal vegies)
There are many types of paella – this one is Paella Valenciana, made with chicken and both green beans and white beans (usually butter beans). Traditionally, this also contains pork ribs or rabbit as well, but for ease of preparation we are just using chicken.
1 x 650ml container
Equipment
- Cutting board with paper towel under it
- Knife
- Cooktop
- Small frypan
- Spatula
- Fork
- Tongs
- Small bowl
- Small container/dariole mould
- Foil
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp EVOO
- 1 chicken thigh cutlet, bone in (v – 300g seasonal vegies, including one starchy veg such as sweet potato)
- 5 strands saffron
- Handful green beans
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 small tomato
- ¼ tin butter beans or other white beans
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 50g Spanish short grain rice (eg Bomba rice – or medium grain if you can’t find short grain)
- 250ml water or vegetable stock
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Get all ingredients and equipment.
- Season chicken (v – peel, chop and season vegetables).
- Put all oil into pan, add ½ tsp salt. Heat to medium.
- Add chicken (v – vegetables) and add to pan, skin side down. Turn regularly until browned.
- While chicken (v – vegetables) is cooking, prepare other ingredients:
- Grate tomato into a small bowl.
- Mince garlic
- Top and tail beans
- Bloom saffron – put into small container/dariole mould with approx. 2 tbsp warm (not hot) water
- Drain and rinse white beans
- Remove chicken (v – browned vegetables) and cook vegetables:
- Saute green beans for about 3 minutes
- Add garlic
- Quickly add white beans
- Add paprika and saute quickly until fragrant
- Add tomato and saffron with water. Stir gently.
- Cook rice:
- Add water/stock to pan
- Add rice
- Stir briefly until combined
- Return chicken (v – vegetables) to the pan
- Turn down heat and simmer for 10 minutes uncovered until rice is cooked
- Continue to cook until you hear the rice at the bottom starting to ‘crack’
- Turn up heat for about 30 seconds to help form the soccarat (crispy bottom).
- Turn off heat, cover and rest for 5 minutes.
- Plate
- Put rice on plate/in container
- Top with chicken/vegies.
- Pour over sauce.
- Top with parsley.
- Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.
Sopa de Ajo (Spanish garlic soup) with pan de aciete (olive oil bread)
1 x 650ml container
Equipment
- Cutting board with paper towel under it
- Knife
- Cooktop
- Large saucepan
- Spatula
- Tray lined with baking paper
- Small bowl
- Fork
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp EVOO
- 8 cloves garlic
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp white wine
- 500ml vegetable stock
- Further 3 tbsp EVOO
- 2 large eggs
- 1 portion proved bread dough (chef to provide)
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Get all ingredients and equipment.
- Bake pan de aceite (olive oil bread):
a. Pour 2 tbsp EVOO into baking paper lined tray.
b. Put bread dough onto baking paper lined tray and stretch until it is about 5mm thick.
c. Drizzle with EVOO, sprinkle with flaky salt, and bake at 200C for 10 minutes or until base is golden brown. - Make soup:
a. Thickly slice garlic (about 2mm thick)
b. Cook in a large saucepan over medium low heat in 3 tbsp EVOO until soft.
c. Add salt and wine and cook on high until wine is nearly reduced to nothing.
d. Add paprika and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
e. Whisk eggs in small bowl using a fork and add and mix in a pinch of salt.
f. Slowly drizzle into soup and cook for 2 minutes.
g. Check for seasoning. - Plate:
a. Put soup in bowl/container.
b. Serve with bread. - Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.
Salmon with saffron meuniere (brown butter sauce) (v –mushroom)
1 x 650ml container
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Chef’s knife
- Cooktop
- Frypan
- Small saucepan
- Small bowl of iced water
- Bowl
- Tongs
- Spatula
- Small container or dariole mould with approx. 1 tbsp warm water
- 2 paper towels
- 10 x 15 cm piece baking paper
- Thermometer
Ingredients
- 130g salmon fillet (v – 4 large Swiss Brown mushrooms)
- ½ lemon
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter plus 1 tsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp EVOO
- ½ small golden shallot
- ½ tbsp capers
- 2 sprigs parsley
- Handful of seasonal greens
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Gather equipment and ingredients.
- Prepare vegies:
a. Pick and/or top/tail greens.
b. Bloom saffron by crumbling it into warm water
c. Pick and chop parsley
d. Finely chop capers
e. Finely dice golden shallot
f. Zest lemon
g. (v – slice mushrooms into 3 mm slices) - Blanch and refresh greens
a. Cook in 5cm of boiling salted water until done.
b. Put straight into iced water until chilled.
c. Drain and return to saucepan with 1 tsp butter.
d. Season and set aside. - Fry salmon
a. Pat salmon dry using paper towels.
b. Put flour in bowl and season.
c. Dredge salmon (not on skin side) in flour.
d. Add a spray or drizzle of EVOO to frypan. Place baking paper in pan.
e. Cook salmon skin side down until skin is crispy.
f. Cook for 2 minutes on all other sides or until internal temperature reaches 52C (for medium rare).
g. Remove from pan and rest, skin side up. - Make sauce:
a. Turn off heat.
b. Add remaining EVOO and saffron water. Cook until reduced. DO NOT BURN.
c. Melt 2 tbsp unsalted butter.
d. Add shallot and capers. Cook until milk solids in butter turn golden brown (it will smell nutty).
e. Turn off heat, stir in lemon zest and squeeze in juice. - Quickly reheat greens and toss in butter.
- Plate:
a. Place greens on plate.
b. Top with fish
c. Coat half the fish with sauce and pool the rest in the plate.
d. Garnish with parsley. - Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.
Herb Crepes with Chicken Veloute (v – mushroom and green pea velouté)
- 1 x 650ml container
- 1 x 350ml container
Equipment
- Cooktop
- Frypan
- Spatula
- Jug
- Whisk
- Paper towel
Ingredients
For crepes
- 125g 00 flour
- 1 large egg
- 250ml whole milk
- 25 g butter
- Big handful mixed soft herbs
- Fat pinch caster sugar
- Fat pinch salt
- 50ml vegetable oil
For chicken mix (v – mushroom)
- 20g butter
- 20g plain flour
- 100ml chicken stock (v – mushroom)
- 120g chicken pieces (thigh or breast) (v – 120g mushrooms)
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- ¼ onion
- ½ clove garlic
- 1 small sprig thyme
- 3cm piece leek
- 60ml cream
- ¼ lemon
- 3 cm piece red capsicum for garnish
- Handful of soft green herbs for garnish
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Make and rest crepe batter
a. Put flour and salt into jug.
b. Make a bay, whisk egg and add to bowl along with sugar.
c. Add milk slowly, whisking to a smooth batter.
d. Cook butter to nut brown, whisk in to batter, set aside to rest (min 30 minutes, preferably 1 hr, on benchtop is fine) - Prepare vegetables
a. Chop herbs
b. Slice onion finely
c. Slice leek finely
d. Confetti dice capsicum
e. (v – chop mushroom finely) - Cook crepes
a. Add ¾ of the herbs
b. Stir mix and adjust consistency with water.
c. Heat oil in frypan until hot.
d. Wipe out surplus oil with paper towel.
e. Add a thin coating of crepe batter, swirl quickly to just coat the bottom of the pan.
f. Cook until brown on both sides. The surface should look lacy (think – your grandma’s doily). You should get at least 2 largish crepes.
g. Set aside. - Make chicken mix (v – mushroom)
a. Heat butter in frypan and sweat onion and garlic until onion is translucent.
b. Cut chicken (v – mushroom) into pieces and fry with butter and onion mix.
c. When browned, add flour and mix, then cook out until flour starts to smell toasted.
d. Deglaze pan with stock
e. Whisk until smooth, add thyme and heat until thickened
f. Add cream.
g. Season to taste and adjust with lemon juice. - Plate:
a. Lay crepes on plate.
b. Spoon half the chicken mix onto each.
c. Sprinkle over herbs and confetti diced capsicum. - Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.
Intermediate French – Omelette Fine Herbes, green salad, vinaigrette
- 1 x 650ml container
- 1 x 350ml container
Equipment
- Cutting board with paper towel under it
- Knife
- Cooktop
- Frypan
- Spatula
- Small bowl
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 30g butter
- 3 eggs
- Handful of chives, dill and parsley
- 2 handfuls salad greens
- 2 tsp neutral oil
- 1 tsp EVOO
- ¼ tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- ¼ golden shallot
- ¼ small anchovy fillet (optional)
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Get all ingredients and equipment.
- Make vinaigrette
a. Pour oil into bowl
b. Add mustard and salt.
c. Add anchovy if using, and crush.
d. Whisk
e. Add vinegar, shallot and a good grind of black pepper.
f. Whisk again
g. Set aside - Make omelette fine herbes
a. Very finely chop herbs.
b. Whisk egg very thoroughly in a bowl. Add herbs.
c. Heat 20g butter in frypan until bubbling.
d. Pour egg into frypan and scramble centre a little, moving egg around.
e. Fold egg away from you to edge of frypan into cigar shape.
f. Tip onto plate. Rub with a little butter. - Make green salad by adding greens to dressing in bowl and tossing until thoroughly coated.
- Plate: Put salad on one side of plate and place omelette on the other.
- Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives
Intermediate French – Sauces – beurre blanc and mayonnaise
2 x 650ml containers
Beurre blanc
Note: this is not the same thing as hollandaise. Hollandaise is a strained sauce made over a bain marie using clarified butter, egg yolks, a vinegar reduction and lemon juice. Beurre blanc, on the other hand, is made in the pan with butter on a white wine and vinegar reduction and need not be strained.
Equipment
- Cooktop
- Saucepan
- Cutting board with paper towel
- Knife
- Bowl
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 65ml dry white wine
- Scant 1 tbs white wine vinegar
- ¼ small shallot
- 100g butter
- ¼ lemon
- Salt
Method
- Get all ingredients and equipment.
- Very finely brunoise shallot.
- Cut butter into small cubes.
- Add white wine, vinegar and shallots to saucepan over low heat.
- Cook until there are approximately 2 tbsp of liquid remaining in the pan.
- Whisk in the butter piece by piece – you will need to whisk quite hard. When almost all the butter is melted, remove from the heat.
- Continue whisking until smooth.
- Season and adjust for acid.
- Clean down quickly, wipe knives and boards.
Mayonnaise
Note: If you add chopped capers and cornichon, with a little chopped parsley, chives and tarragon, you will have made a lovely remoulade. Or add some roasted or confit garlic plus a little fresh garlic and a little extra salt for aioli.
Equipment
- Bowl
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Jug for oil
Ingredients
- 1 egg yolk
- 5 g Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp white wine vinegar
- 125ml neutral oil
- 5ml hot water
- ¼ lemon
- Salt and white pepper
Method
- Get all ingredients and equipment.
- Put egg yolk, mustard, vinegar into bowl.
- Whisk until pale.
- Add oil very slowly, whisking all the time, until all the oil is incorporated.
- Adjust for acid and season.
- Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.
Double Meal Prep: Chicken and leek pot pie (v – mushroom) and Spanish tortilla – Tortilla de Patatas
Double Meal Prep
This class involves you preparing 2 meals to be finished on the oven or stovetop or reheated in the oven at home. Please bring:
- 1 x 350ml takeaway container for dressed chargrilled capsicum
- 1 x small round pie dish for the chicken pot pie – small (1.5 to 2 litre capacity) if you are cooking 2 serves per meal, or medium (3-4 litre capacity) if you are cooking 4 serves per meal.
- 1 x small deep round dish with lid for tortilla – small (2 litre capacity) if you are cooking 2 serves per meal, or medium (3-4 litre capacity) if you are cooking 4 serves per meal.
Otherwise, you can buy ‘containers’ packs on our website for a couple of dollars each.
Chicken and leek pot pie (v – mushroom)
Equipment
- Cutting board stabilized
- Chef’s knife
- Cooktop
- Frypan
- Bowl
- Tongs
- Spatula
- Fork or pastry crimper
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
- 300g chicken thigh fillet
- 60g bacon
- 1 small leek
- 1 small carrot
- 1 celery stalk
- 2 sprigs thyme
- Sprig tarragon
- 250ml chicken stock
- 2 tsp plain flour
- 1 tbsp (20g) butter
- 85ml cream
- 30 g parmesan
- 150g puff pastry
- ½ beaten egg
- EVOO
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Gather all ingredients and equipment.
- Prepare vegetables and herbs:
a. Finely slice leek
b. Mince garlic
c. Finely chop herbs - Finely chop bacon.
- Cook chicken:
a. Cut chicken thigh fillet into bite sized pieces
b. Heat oil in frypan and saute chicken until golden brown. Rest in bowl. - Make pie filling base:
a. Add butter, leek, bacon, garlic and herbs and cook until leek is soft.
b. Deglaze pan with wine until reduced to ¼ of its original volume.
c. Add flour and stir.
d. Add stock and cream
e. Add chicken and simmer
f. Put in pie dish
g. Grate over parmesan
h. Check for seasoning
i Put in fridge to cool while you cook the tortilla (below) - Once cooked, cut a pastry round to fit over the pie filling with 1 cm of extra edge. Cut a small hole in the top to vent the steam. Press down over pie filling. Brush with eggwash.
- Note on foil to bake at 180C for 40 minutes until golden.
- Clean down.
Spanish tortilla – Tortilla de Patatas
Equipment
- Cutting board stabilized
- Chef’s knife
- Cooktop
- Frypan
- Spatula
- Bowl
- Whisk
- Flat plate
Ingredients
- 80g potato chips (thin, not kettle style)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 large white onion
- Thyme or oregano, 1 to 2 stems
- Oil for frying
- 200g chargrilled capsicum
- 2 tbsp EVOO
- 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Gather all ingredients and equipment
- Make frittata base:
a. Thoroughly whisk the eggs in a bowl and season.
b. Add potato chips and picked herbs and set aside.. - Cook onion:
a. Slice onion very thinly using a mandolin or sharp knife.
b. Saute in frypan in a little oil until it starts to caramelise (add a little water if needed to prevent onions from over-browning).
c. Spread on plate to cool and wipe out pan. - Cook frittata:
a. Put a generous amount of oil into pan over medium high heat.
b. Add eff mix and cook without stirring until the bottom begins to brown.
c. Invert onto plate and return to pan to cook other side (or finish in a 180 degree oven until top is still slightly jiggly (about 2 minutes). - Transfer to container to take home.
- Slice capsicum and dress with EVOO and sherry vinegar. Put in container.
- Serve frittata either warm or at room temperature.
Clean down.