Week 5 Term 3 – 13 July 2026

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.

Turkish Meze – 4 dishes – Babagannus, Grilled Chicken (tavuk sis) (v- mushroom), Roasted Capsicum with pickles (tursu), Yoghurt dip (haydari)

4 x 350ml containers

Equipment

  • Cutting board stabilized with paper towel
  • Chef’s knife
  • Cooktop
  • Frypan
  • Small bowl x 2
  • Small container/dariole mould
  • Clingwrap
  • 2 foil lined baking trays

Ingredients

 Babagannus

  • 100g eggplant
  • ¼ red capsicum
  • 1 small tomato
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tablespoon EVOO
  • 1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses
  • 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes
  • ¼ lemon

Grilled chicken

  • 100g chicken thigh fillets (v – 2 large oyster or field mushrooms)
  • 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
  • 1 tbsp EVOO
  • ½ lemon
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • Fat pinch cumin
  • Fat pinch dried oregano
  • Fat pinch Aleppo pepper flakes

Roasted capsicum with pickles (tursu)

  • ¾ red capsicum
  • 1 tbsp EVOO
  • ½ clove garlic
  • 2 tsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 1 tbsp pickled vegies (chef to provide)

 

Yoghurt dip (haydari)

 

  • 80ml Greek yoghurt
  • 1 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 tsp finely chopped dill
  • ¼ tsp dried mint
  • ½ clove garlic

 

  • Salt and pepper

Method 

  1. Preheat grill to high or oven to 270C.
  2. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  3. Prepare chicken (v – mushrooms):
    a. Cut chicken into bit sized cubes(v – slice mushroom into 2 cm slices).
    b. Put in bowl with remaining ingredients:
      i. 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
      ii. 1 tbsp EVOO
      iii. ½ lemon
      iv. 1 tsp paprika
      v. Fat pinch cumin
      vi. Fat pinch dried oregano
      vii. Fat pinch Aleppo pepper flakes

    c. Marinate (can marinate for up to 24 hours).
  4. Make haydari by mincing garlic then whisking together:
    a. 80ml Greek yoghurt
    b. 1 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
    c. 1 tsp finely chopped dill (reserve a little for garnish)
    d. ¼ tsp dried mint
    e. Minced garlic
  5. Roast eggplant and capsicum:
    a. For roasted peppers: deseed, coat with oil and char over charcoal or a gas flame, or in a frypan, or in a very hot oven, until skin is browned but has not collapsed. 
    b. For babagannus: Char eggplant and capsicum over charcoal or a gas flame, or in a frypan, or in a very hot oven, until skin is blackened and flesh collapses. Place into a bowl and cover with clingwrap to steam and cool.
  6. Cook chicken (v – mushroom): place on lined baking tray in a very hot oven for 15 minutes until cooked, turning once.
  7. While chicken is cooking, make babagannus:
    a. Peel and dice tomatoes, crush garlic, and add to bowl with EVOO, molasses, and lemon juice.
    b. Finely chop charred eggplant and capsicum and add to bowl.
    c. Season to taste.
  8. Make roasted capsicum with pickles
    a. Mince garlic, pick thyme.
    b. Toss roasted capsicum with EVOO, minced garlic, red wine vinegar and picked thyme.
  9. Plate (or into containers):
    a. Top babagannus with red pepper flakes.
    b. Top roasted capsicum with pickles.
    c. Pour any remaining marinade over chicken (v – mushroom).
    d. Top yoghurt with reserved dill and a drizzle of EVOO.
  10. Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.

Turkish beef skewers (v – eggplant), walnut and tomato salad (gavurdagi salatasi) and handmade pide bread

3 x 350ml containers

Equipment

  • 2 cutting boards stabilized with paper towel
  • Chef’s knife
  • Cooktop
  • Frypan
  • 2 skewers (wooden or metal)
  • Small bowl x 3
  • Small container/dariole mould
  • Clingwrap
  • Foil lined baking tray
  • Pastry brush

Ingredients

 Beef skewers

  • 150g steak (v – eggplant)
  • ¼ red capsicum
  • ½ onion
  • 2 tsp tomato paste
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp dried mint
  • ½ small lemon
  • 2 tsp EVOO

Walnut and tomato salad (gavurdagi salatasi )

  • 1 medium tomato
  • ¼ red onion
  • ¼ small cucumber
  • Small handful parsley
  • 2 tbsp EVOO
  • 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • ¼ tsp sumac
  • 1 tbsp walnuts

Handmade pide bread (makes 1)

  • 50g self raising flour
  • 30g lukewarm water
  • Fat pinch sugar
  • Fat pinch salt
  • ½ tsp instant yeast
  • 5 tsp EVOO
  • 30g shredded mozzarella
  • 30g feta cheese
  • Small handful parsley
  • ½ egg
  • Salt and pepper

Method 

  1. Preheat oven to 200C.
  2. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  3. Make pide filling and pide dough (in class, dough will be done for you):
    a. Mix sugar and yeast with lukewarm water and leave for 5 minutes until bubbles form.
    b. In the meantime make filling by finely chopping parsley then mixing the following together:
     i. Parsley
     ii. 30g shredded mozzarella
     iii. 30g feta cheese
    c. Cover filling and put in fridge.
    d. Add oil to water/sugar/yeast mix and stir, then add flour.
    e. Mix, then knead until flour is combined.
    f. Set aside on bench, covered with clingwrap, to double in size.
  4. Make and marinate beef (v – eggplant) skewers:
    a. Cut onion and capsicum into 2 cm chunks and put in bowl.
    b. Cut beef (v – eggplant) into 2 cm cubes, add to bowl.
    c. Add to bowl and mix:
     i. Tomato paste;
     ii. Juice and zest from lemon;
     iii. Garlic powder;
     iv. Sumac;
     v. Oil;
     vi. Fat pinch of salt and pepper.
    d. Thread onto skewers and set aside to marinate.
  5. Prepare salad:
    a. Chop the following into medium dice and add to bowl.
     i. 1 medium tomato
     ii. ¼ red onion
     iii. ¼ small cucumber
     iv. Small handful parsley
    b. Add to salad and mix:
     i. 2 tbsp EVOO
     ii. 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
     iii. ¼ tsp sumac
    c. Refrigerate.
  • Make pide:
    a. Shape dough into kayak shape.
    b. Add filling and pinch ends of dough to elongate kayak shape.
    c. Rolle side edges of the dough to ensure filling does not escape.
    d. Brush with beaten egg.
    e. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.
    7. While pide is cooking, cook beef (v- eggplant) skewers under grill, in hot oven or in frypan over high heat until internal temperature of meat is 53C (for medium rare), 60C (for medium) or 65C (for medium well) (v- euntill eggplant is soft – add more EVOO during cooking if required).
    8. Plate (or into containers):
    a. Skewers on plate.
    b. Top salad with walnuts and plate.
    c. Pide on the side.
    9. Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.

Iksender Kebap (grilled lamb with tomato, pita bread and yoghurt (v – replace lamb with eggplant) – Based on an Ozlem Warren recipe

1 x 650ml container

2 x 350ml containers

Equipment

  • Cooktop
  • Frypan
  • Cutting board with paper towel
  • Knife
  • Bowl x 4
  • Spatula
  • Grater
  • Meat mallet
  • Rolling pin

Ingredients

Marinated meat (v – eggplant):

  • 160g beef steak (rump or rib eye) (v – half a large eggplant and 125ml of EVOO)
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 tsp EVOO
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp Aleppo pepper

Tomato sauce:

  • 3 tsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp Aleppo pepper
  • 1 tsp EVOO
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 small tomato
  • ½ green capsicum

Pita bread (makes 2 to 3)

  • 100g 00 flour
  • ½ tsp instant yeast
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 50ml oil
  • ½ tsp EVOO

Yoghurt

  • 100g plain Greek yoghurt
  • Small handful parsley
  • Small handful mint
  • Nutmeg, pinch
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  1. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  2. Make pita bread dough and rest:
    a. Combine all ingredients.
    b. Mix until combined.
    c. Knead 10 minutes until smooth.
    d. Put in a clean bowl, cover and leave to rise in a warm spot for at least 45 minutes (no more than 3 hours) until doubled in size.
  3. Marinate meat (v – eggplant):
    a. Grate onions.
    b. Finely slice meat and bash with a mallet or rolling pin or similar until flattened and about 4cm x 4 cm in size. (v – thickly slice eggplant)
    c. Add to bowl with the following and chill:
      i. 2 tsp EVOO
      ii. ½ tsp dried oregano
      iii. ½ tsp Aleppo pepper
  1. Prepare yoghurt:
    a. Finely chop herbs
    b. Add to yoghurt and mix
    c. Season
    d. Refrigerate
  2. Make tomato sauce:
    a. Add EVOO to pan.
    b. Saute tomatoes and capsicum until charred.
    c. Add remaining ingredients, season and simmer until capsicum is soft (about 5 minutes).
    d. Put in bowl and set aside.
    e. Wipe out pan.
  3. Shape and cook pita breads:
    a. Divide dough into 2 or 3 evenly sized pieces.
    b. Flatten each piece then roll into a 20cm diameter round.
    c. Cook one side in frypan for 15-20 seconds.
    d. Flip and cook other side for about a minute.
    e. Flip back to first side and cook until puffy, pressing down on bubbles, for about 3 minutes.
    f. Repeat with remaining pieces.
  4. Cook meat by frying until lightly charred. (v – fry eggplant gently in plenty of EVOO until soft).
  5. Plate:
    a. Pita bread down.
    b. Meat down.
    c. Tomato sauce over.
    d. Yoghurt on side.
  6. Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.

Vichyssoise (French Leek and Potato Soup)

Note – this soup is traditionally served cold.  You have the option of serving it cold or warm.

1 x 650ml container

Equipment

  • Cooktop
  • Saucepan
  • Blender
  • Cutting board with paper towel
  • Knife
  • Bowl
  • Spatula

Ingredients

  • ½ small onion
  • 20g butter
  • 5ml olive oil
  • 1 potato
  • ½ white part of a leek
  • 250ml chicken stock
  • 50ml cream
  • Chives – 6 stalks approx.
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Nutmeg, pinch

Method

  1. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  2. Prepare vegetables:
    a. Chop brown onion coarsely.
    b. Dice potatoes into small dice.
    c. Slice leek thinly.
  3. Saute vegetables:
    a. In the saucepan, heat butter and olive oil.
    b. Sweat the onions until translucent.
    c. Sweat the leek.
    d. Add the potatoes and saute with the onion and leek.
    e. Season
  1. Make soup:
    a. Add stock and bring just to a boil.
    b. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender (15 to 25 minutes, depending on fineness of dice).”
    c. Puree until smooth.
    d. Add cream and reheat if serving hot.
    e. Taste for seasoning.
  2. If wanting to serve cold, refrigerate until cold.
  3. Serve garnished with chives.
  4. Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives

Intermediate French – Cointreau Sabayon with Berries

2 x 350ml containers one ceramic or glass

Equipment

  • Cooktop
  • Saucepan
  • Cutting board with paper towel
  • Knife
  • Whisk
  • 3 bowls
  • Offset spatula
  • Tuile moulds
  • Blowtorch
  • Rolling pin

Ingredients

Sabayon

  • 1 egg yolk (retain white)
  • 15g caster sugar
  • Half an orange
  • 5 ml Cointreau or other orange flavoured liqueur
  • 75ml thickened cream
  • Cup of ice

Macerated berries:

  • 3 strawberries
  • 6 blue berries
  • 15ml Cointreau

Tuile

  • 20g 00 flour
  • 20g egg white
  • 20g icing sugar
  • 20g butter

 

Method

  1. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  2. Preheat oven to 180C.
  3. Make tuiles
    a. Whisk together:
      i. 20g 00 flour
      ii. 20g egg white
      iii. 20g icing sugar
      iv. 20g butter
    b. Spread into tuile moulds using offset spatula, scraping off excess.
    c. Bake until lightly golden brown.
    d. Remove from moulds while hot and place over rolling pin to curl.
    e. Cool. Store excess in airtight container.
  1. Macerate berries – Cut and place into Cointreau.
  2. Make sabayon:
    a. Whip cream to soft peak.
    b. Whisk egg, sugar, 25ml orange juice, zest of the orange and Cointreau over a bain marie until ribbon stage ie 85C.
    c. Whisk over ice until cool.
    d. Fold in cream.
  3. Plate and torch:
    a. Fruit in bowl.
    b. Sabayon over.
    c. Finish sabayon with blow torch.
    d. Top with tuile.
  4. Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.

Intermediate French – Baked herb crepes with spinach, cheese and pine nuts

1 x 650ml container

1 x 350ml container

Equipment

  • Cooktop
  • Frypan
  • Cutting board with paper towel
  • Knife
  • Bowl x 2
  • Jug
  • Blender
  • Whisk
  • Paper towel
  • Lined baking tray

Ingredients

Crepes

  • 60g 00 flour
  • ½ egg plus one egg yolk
  • 125ml whole milk
  • 10 g butter
  • Small handful mixed soft herbs
  • Fat pinch caster sugar
  • Fat pinch salt
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Sauce

  • 1 tbsp EVOO
  • ½ small onion
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ½ can tomatoes
  • Pinch brown sugar

Filling

  • 100g frozen spinach, thawed
  • 50g soft goats’ cheese
  • 1 heaped tsp pine nuts
  • 1 sundried tomato half
  • Small handful fresh herbs eg basil
  • 1 egg white
  • Fat pinch nutmeg

 

 

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 190C.
  2. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  3. 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)
  4. Prepare sauce:
    a. Heat EVOO in pan.
    b. Add onion and garlic and sweat until onion is
    c. Add tomatoes and sugar and cook until thickened (about 5 minutes)
  5. Prepare filling:
    a. Cook spinach.
    b. Toast pine nuts.
    c. Chop sun dried tomato
    d. Shred basil.
    e. Add spinach, cheese, pine nuts, sun dried tomato, basil, and nutmeg.
    f. Season to taste.
    g. Whisk eggwhite until stiff peaks form.
    h. Fold into spinach mixture in thirds, very gently.
  6. Fill and bake crepes:
    a. Place crepe onto lined baking tray. Add a tablespoon of filling and fold into quarter. 
    b. Bake for 12 minutes until set.
  7. Reheat sauce in frypan.  
  8. Plate by placing crepes onto serving plate and topping with tomato sauce.
  9. Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.

Double Meal Prep

Provencal beef and olive daube with orzo and greens  (v – replace beef with eggplant and white beans)

Hunkar begendi or slow cooked lamb stew with eggplant puree (v – replace lamb with butternut pumpkin and pistachio nuts)

This class involves you preparing 2 meals to be finished on the oven or stovetop or reheated in the oven at home.  Please bring:

  • 3 x 650ml container (6 x 650ml or 3 x 1l container if making 4 serves/meal) for the orzo, greens and eggplant
  • 1 x 150ml container for olives (1 x 350 ml if making 4 serves/meal)
  • 1x 2 l plastic or glass container with a lid to marinate the lamb
  • 1 x deep casserole dish with lid for the hunkar begendi sauce – small (4 litre capacity) if you are cooking 2 serves per meal, or medium (6 to 8 litre capacity) if you are cooking 4 serves per meal.
  • 1 x deep casserole dish with lid for the daube – small (4 litre capacity) if you are cooking 2 serves per meal, or medium (6 to 8 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. 

Provencal beef and olive daube with orzo and greens  (v – replace beef with eggplant and white beans)

Equipment

  • Cooktop
  • Frying pan
  • Saucepan with lid
  • Cutting board with paper towel
  • Chef’s knife
  • Microplace/grater

Ingredients

Daube

  • 350g chuck steak
  • 80g thick streaky bacon
  • 1 large carrot
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 2 stalk parsley
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 80g pitted kalamata olives
  • 130g chopped tomatoes

Marinade

  • 2 tbsp EVOO
  • 2 shallots
  • ½ small stick celery
  • ½ small carrot
  • 50ml red wine
  • 2 black peppercorns
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 1 stalk parsley

Orzo

  • 1 cup dry orzo
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 40g parmesan cheese
  • 20g butter

Greens

  • 2 handfuls green beans, sugar snap peas or other green vegetables

Method

  • Get all ingredients and equipment.
  • Prepare orzo:
    a. Melt butter in saucepan.
    b. Add orzo and stir for 3 minutes approx. until toasted and smells nutty.
    c. Add chicken stock, bring to boil and turn heat to low.
    d. Cover with lid and simmer for approx. 10 minutes until liquid is fully absorbed and orzo is tender.
    e. Grate over parmesan and stir through.
    f. Put into takehome container.
  • Prepare greens:
    a. Boil in salty water for 2 minutes or until cooked.
    b. Refresh in iced water.
    c. Put into takehome container.
  • Prepare beef:
    a. Make marinade:
      i. Dice shallots, carrot and celery.
      ii. Heat oil in frypan and add diced veg, frying until shallots are translucent.
      iii. Add red wine, peppercorns, garlic, bay leaf, thyme and parsley stalks. Simmer 20 minutes.
      iv. Strain into casserole dish.
      v. Add beef, bacon, carrots, herbs, garlic, tomato. Cover and note cooking instructions (3 hours at 160C, covered).
      vi. Put olives into small takehome container. Add in the last 30 minutes of cooking.
    5. Clean down and reset for next recipe.
    6. At home, cook beef for 3 hours at 160C, covered. Add olives for the last 30 minutes of cooking.
    7. Serve with orzo and greens (reheat in microwave).

Hunkar begendi or slow cooked lamb stew with eggplant puree (v – replace lamb with butternut pumpkin and pistachio nuts)

Equipment

  • Cooktop
  • Saucepan
  • Cutting board w paper towel
  • Chef’s knife
  • Fork
  • Foil
  • Whisk

Ingredients

Lamb

  • 400g boneless lamb leg or shoulder, diced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp EVOO
  • 1 green capsicum
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • ½ cup hot water

Hunkar begendi sauce

  •  

Eggplant puree

  • 2 large eggplants
  • 25 g butter
  • 1 heaped tbsp plain flour
  • 160ml milk
  • 50g pecorino cheese (or Turkish kasar, if you can find it)

Method

  • Get ingredients and equipment.
  • Prepare vegetables:
    a. Crush garlic
    b. Finely chop onions
    c. Finely chop capsicum
    d. Dice tomatoes
  • Prepare lamb to marinade:
    a. Put lamb in container lined with clingwrap.
    b. Add tomato paste, crushed garlic, half the onion and a bay leaf.
    c. Wrap and set aside (you will add this to the sauce to cook at home).
    4. Make cooking base for lamb:
    a. In saucepan, heat EVOO and saute onions until lightly browned.
    b. Add green capsicum and butter and cook until capsicum is softened.
    c. Add hot water and bring to boil.
    d. Place into casserole dish.
    e. Note cooking instructions (add marinated lamb and cook covered for 2.5 hours at 160C).
    5. Make eggplant puree
    a. Peel eggplant, cut eggplant into chunks and roast in oven until charred around edges. Cool and mash with a fork.
    b. Melt butter in saucepan and add flour to make a roux. Cook until it smells toasted.
    c. Add milk and whisk until smooth.
    d. Add eggplant and cook until thickened.
    e. Grate in cheese.
    f. Place in takehome container.
    6. Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.
    7. At home, put lamb into casserole dish with base and cook, covered, at 160 for 2.5 hours. Reheat eggplant in microwave.  Serve eggplant topped with lamb and sauce and, if desired, some pita bread.
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