Week 6 Term 1 – 2 March 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.

1 x 650ml container

Equipment

  • Large bowl
  • Pastry scraper
  • Dariole mould
  • Fork
  • Sifter/sieve
  • Cutting board with paper towel under it
  • Knife
  • Blender
  • Rolling pin
  • Pasta machine
  • Baking tray with baking paper
  • Cooktop
  • Large saucepan
  • Colander
  • Spatula

Ingredients

  • 100g 00 (baker’s) flour plus 1 tbsp for flouring bench
  • Big pinch salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp EVOO
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tbsp pine nuts
  • 35 g (about half a large bunch) basil
  • 25g parmesan (if you can get it, Parmigiano-Reggiano) cheese
  • 10g pecorino (if you can get it, Sardinian or Romano) cheese
  • 70ml (about ¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
  • A fat pinch of table salt
  • ¼ lemon
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  1. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  2. Make pasta dough:
    • Using the fork, whisk egg and oil together.
    • Sift flour and salt into bowl.
    • Make a well in flour.
    • Pour egg mix into the well in the flour.
    • Using a circular motion, with 2 fingers mix the flour with the egg mix until it starts to come together.
    • Knead until firm and very smooth.
    • Shape into a flat rectangle.
    • Wrap in cling film and rest for at least 30 minutes.
  3. Make pesto sauce:
    • Crush garlic
    • Grate parmesan and pecorino
    • Add the following to a blender:
      • Crushed garlic
      • 1 tbsp pine nuts
      • Basil
      • Grated parmesan and pecorino
      • 70ml (about ¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
      • A fat pinch of table salt
      • Juice of ¼ lemon
    • Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  1. Line baking tray with baking paper. Flour lightly.
  2. Put a large saucepan of water on to boil. Add salt (until it is like the sea).  When it boils, reduce to a simmer (don’t let it boil hard for a long time, or the water will evaporate and will become too salty).
  3. Roll and cut pasta dough:
    • Flour bench lightly.
    • Use rolling pin to roll pasta dough to Size 7 thickness. Fold onto itself and roll again.
    • Roll through machine at size 7, 6, 5 and 4.
    • Cut using tagliatelle cutter.
    • Put onto floured baking paper, toss gently in flour, take care to keep in a single layer.
  4. CLEAN DOWN – as much as possible before cooking pasta – scrape and wash benches, clean cutting board and knife and put away, wash and put away dishes, sweep floor.
  5. Cook pasta:
    • Bring water to a rolling boil.
    • Add pasta all at once.
    • Cook until done (will take about 2 minutes – taste it).
    • Retain about 60ml of pasta water (half a dariole mould approx.).
    • Drain through colander.
    • Put pasta back in saucepan.
  6. Mix basil pesto sauce into pasta:
    • Add sauce over low heat.
    • Emulsify using pasta water.
  7. Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.

This Ligurian pasta sauce is based on a centuries old Roman recipe.  It is

‘brutti ma buoni’: ugly but good.

1 x 650ml container

Equipment

  • Large bowl
  • Pastry scraper
  • Dariole mould
  • Fork
  • Sifter/sieve
  • Cutting board with paper towel under it
  • Knife
  • Blender
  • Rolling pin
  • Pasta machine
  • Baking tray with baking paper
  • Cooktop
  • Large saucepan
  • Colander
  • Spatula

Ingredients

  • 100g 00 (baker’s) flour plus 1 tbsp for flouring bench
  • Big pinch salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp EVOO
  • Extra 2 tsp EVOO
  • ¼ slice sourdough bread, white (preferably a bit stale)
  • 1 tbsp milk
  • 40g walnuts
  • 1 tsp pine nuts
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 10 g parmesan (preferably Parmigiano Reggiano)
  • Sprig marjoram (or sprig oregano if you cannot get marjoram)
  • 30g fresh firm ricotta (from the deli, not from a tub)
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  1. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  2. Make pasta dough:
    • Using the fork, whisk egg and oil together.
    • Sift flour and salt into bowl.
    • Make a well in flour.
    • Pour egg mix into the well in the flour.
    • Using a circular motion, with 2 fingers mix the flour with the egg mix until it starts to come together.
    • Knead until firm and very smooth.
    • Shape into a flat rectangle.
    • Wrap in cling film and rest for at least 30 minutes.
  3. Make salsa di nocci:
    • Put bread in a small container and cover with milk.  Leave 5 minutes.
    • Chop fresh herbs finely
    • Crush garlic
    • Grate parmesan
    • Add the following to a blender:
      • Crushed garlic
      • Grated parmesan
      • Walnuts
      • Pine nuts
      • EVOO
      • Half the fresh herbs
      • Soaked bread (do not add excess milk)
      • Pinch of salt.
    • Blend until mostly smooth.
    • Taste and adjust seasoning.
    • Set aside in small container/bowl.
  1. Line baking tray with baking paper. Flour lightly.
  2. Put a large saucepan of water on to boil. Add salt (until it is like the sea).  When it boils, reduce to a simmer (don’t let it boil hard for a long time, or the water will evaporate and will become too salty).
  3. Roll and cut pasta dough:
    • Flour bench lightly.
    • Use rolling pin to roll pasta dough to Size 7 thickness. Fold onto itself and roll again.
    • Roll through machine at size 7, 6, 5 and 4.
    • Cut using tagliatelle cutter.
    • Put onto floured baking paper, toss gently in flour, take care to keep in a single layer.
  4. CLEAN DOWN – as much as possible before cooking pasta – scrape and wash benches, clean cutting board and knife and put away, wash and put away dishes, sweep floor.
  5. Cook pasta:
    • Bring water to a rolling boil.
    • Add pasta all at once.
    • Cook until done (will take about 2 minutes – taste it).
    • Retain about 60ml of pasta water (half a dariole mould approx.).
    • Drain through colander.
    • Put pasta back in saucepan.
  6. Mix salsa di nocci into pasta:
    • Add sauce to pasta over low heat.
    • Emulsify using pasta water.
  7. Plate:
    • Put pasta on a plate/takeaway container.
    • Top with dabs of ricotta and a sprinkle of chopped herbs.
  8. Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.

This makes a very generous sandwich!

Equipment

  • Cooktop
  • Frypan w metal handle
  • Small saucepan
  • Cutting board w paper towel
  • Chef’s knife
  • Butter knife or offset spatula
  • Grater
  • Whisk
  • Small baking tray lined with baking paper

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp butter plus 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tsp plain flour
  • 125ml milk
  • Pinch nutmeg
  • 2 slices sourdough
  • 2 slices ham (v – 1 to 2 tbsp caramelised onions and ¼ tsp picked herbs)
  • 50g gruyere or cheddar cheese
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 egg
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  1. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  2. Grate cheese.
  3. Prepare a mornay sauce:
    a. Melt 2 tsp butter in saucepan.
    b. Add 2 tsp flour and mix to combine.
    c. Allow roux to ‘toast’ on bottom until it is golden and smells nutty.
    d. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth (off heat).
    e. Return to heat, bring to just before boiling, stirring constantly.
    f. Add 1/3 of the cheese. Stir until melted.
    g. Remove from heat, season, add nutmeg and set aside (leave in saucepan).
  4. Toast bread:
    a. Spread 1 side of each piece of bread with butter.
    b. Fry buttered side down in frypan over medium heat until toasted. Set aside.
    c. Preheat oven to 220C or preheat grill to high.
  5. Build sandwich
    a. On untoasted side of both slices of bread, spread half the mornay sauce.
    b. Top one slice with 1/3 of cheese and ham (v –caramelised onions and herbs).
    c. Spread mustard on other slice of bread.
    d. Put sandwich together.
    e. Put remaining mornay sauce on top of the sandwich.
    f. Top with rest of cheese.
  6. Put sandwich into oven/under grill.
    a. Put sandwich on lined baking tray (tuck baking paper under sandwich if using grill).
    b. Cook/grill until cheese topping is bubbly and starting to brown.
  7. Fry egg in remaining butter until white is set but yolk is runny.
  8. Get sandwich out of oven, top with egg, add salt and pepper.
  9. If taking home. wrap sandwich in paper and then foil. Reheat in oven at 180 for about 10 minutes or until warmed through.
  10. Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.

Note

Serve with cornichon/small dill pickles and green salad.

Equipment

  • Cutting board with paper towel under it
  • Knife
  • Cooktop
  • Small saucepan with a lid (or foil)
  • Frypan
  • Spatula
  • Bowl for marinating
  • Thermometer (instant read)
  • Foil for resting
  • Plating ring and tweezers

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp EVOO plus 2 tsp EVOO
  • 10g butter plus 10g butter
  • ½ small onion
  • 50g long grain rice
  • 90ml chicken stock (v – vegetable stock)
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 5 rosemary leaves (individual leaves, not full sprigs)
  • 1 sprig parsley
  • 3 large basil leaves
  • 120g lamb fillet or steak (v – 120g squash, 2 swiss brown mushrooms)
  • 1 anchovy fillet (v – 2 tsp white miso)
  • 1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
  • 4 cherry tomatoes
  • Handful of baby spinach
  • ¼ lemon
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 200C.
  2. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  3. Prepare vegetables
    a. Finely chop parsley and basil
    b. Finely chop thyme and rosemary (keep separate)
    c. Mince garlic
    d. Quarter cherry tomatoes
    e. (v – slice squash and mushrooms to approx. 3 mm slices)
    1. Marinate lamb:
      a. In a bowl, crush anchovy fillet with a fork.
      b. Add half the garlic.
      c. Add all the fresh thyme and rosemary leaves.
      d. Add the Dijon mustard.
      e. Spread over one side only of the lamb. Set aside.
    2. Cook rice:
      a. Rinse rice until water runs clear.
      b. Heat half the oil and half the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
      c. Fry rice and onion in butter and oil until the rice starts to smell nutty.
      d. Season, add stock and bay leaf, bring to boil. Remove from the heat and cover with a lid.  Put in the oven and cook at 180 until rice is soft (about 10 minutes)
      e. Remove from oven and leave to stand covered for 5 minutes.
      f. Remove bay leaf.
      g. Add chopped tomatoes, baby spinach, chopped basil and most of the parsley (reserve a little for garnish) and stir through.
      h. Taste for seasoning.
  1. While rice is cooking/resting, cook lamb (v – squash and mushrooms):
    a. Add remaining oil and butter to frypan.
    b. Fry lamb over medium heat, clean side down, until colour rises ¾ of the way up the lamb fillet (v – fry squash until soft, adding a little water if needed to soften.  Add mushrooms and fry until cooked).
    c. Lower heat, turn over and fry on the side with marinade, taking care not to burn it. (v – add marinade to squash and mushroom mix, fry gently to caramelise)
    d. Cook to an internal temperature of 57 degrees (medium rare).
    e. Cover in foil and set aside to rest for 5 mins.
    f. When rested, slice lamb diagonally, taste and adjust seasoning as required.
  2. Quick clean down.
  3. Plate:
    a. Pilaf in a circle on the plate.
    b. Sliced lamb (v – squash and mushrooms) over.
    c. Dress with a little lemon juice and the pan juices.
    d. Sprinkle over parsley.
  4. Final clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.

1 x 650ml container

Equipment

  • Cutting board w paper towel
  • Chef’s knife
  • Cooktop
  • Small saucepan
  • Small frypan
  • Microplane/zester
  • Tongs
  • Offset spatula large
  • Whisk
  • 2 small containers or dariole moulds
  • Small bowl of iced water
  • 20cm square of foil
  • 10cm square or circle of baking paper
  • Small tray or bowl for resting fish

Ingredients

  •  130g fillet white fish
  • ½ lemon
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter plus 1 tsp butter plus 40g unsalted butter, cold
  • 2.5 tbsp white wine
  • Handful green beans or other seasonal greens such as broccolini
  • Salt and pepper

 Method

  1. Get ingredients and equipment.
  2. Half fill saucepan with salty water (salty like the sea) and
  3. Prepare veg:
    a. Top and tail beans, put in saucepan in boiling salty water, remove and refresh in bowl of iced water.
    b. Zest lemon into a small bowl or container.
    c. Squeeze juice into a second small bowl/container.
  4. Prepare fish:
    a. Heat 1 tbsp butter in frypan
    b. Season fish with salt and pepper
    c. Fry fish until golden crusted and flaky on the inside
    d. Rest under foil
    e. Rinse and return frypan
  5. Prepare beurre blanc
    a. Cube 40g butter into 5mm cubes.
    b. In saucepan, gently simmer white wine and lemon juice until reduced by half.
    c. Slowly whisk in butter to form a smooth emulsified sauce.
    d. Add lemon zest
    e. Check for seasoning and set aside
  6. Reheat beans by tossing in remaining 1 tsp butter in frypan.
  7. ​Plate – arrange fish on plate, pour over beurre blanc, put beans on side.
  1. Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.

1 x 650ml container

Bechamel

Equipment

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

Ingredients

  • 500ml milk
  • ½ onion
  • 5 cloves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 40g butter
  • 40g flour
  • Fat pinch of nutmeg
  • Salt
  • White pepper

Method

  1. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  2. Heat milk in saucepan over medium heat.
  3. While milk is heating, make onion cloute by peeling onion and studding with cloves. Use a clove to stick the bay leaf onto the onion.
  4. Pour milk into jug. Rinse saucepan.
  5. Make roux:
    a. Melt butter in saucepan.
    b. Add flour. Mix until you have a smooth paste.
    c. Cook until it smells a bit toasted.
  6. Whisk in hot milk, stirring constantly.
  7. Add the onion cloute.
  8. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir continually.
  9. Add nutmeg, salt and white pepper to taste. Remove onion cloute.
  10. Place sauce into container. Cover top with cling film. This will keep in the fridge for 3 days.

Mornay

As above, but add 100g of grated cheese at the end of cooking and stir until melted.

Vegetable Gratin

 Equipment

  •  Small baking tray
  • Saucepan
  • Cutting board
  • Chef’s knife
  • Bowl of iced water
  • 2 pieces paper towel

Ingredients

  • 150g cauliflower (about 3 florets)
  • 150g broccoli (about 3 florets)
  • 1 portion mornay sauce (see above)
  • 50g grated cheese

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180C.
  2. Trim broccoli and cauliflower and cook in boiling salted water.
  3. Refresh in iced water then drain on paper towel.
  4. Place on baking tray (make a foil boat if needed), cover with mornay sauce, top with grated cheese and cook until hot and golden brown.

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. 1 x 650ml container (1.5l l container if making 4 serves/meal) for the rice.
  2. 1 x small baking tray/lasagne tray for the lasagne (med to large if you are cooking 4 serves per meal).
  3. 1 x deep baking tray with lid for the chicken marengo – 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 marengo (v – mushrooms and eggs)

Equipment

  • Cooktop
  • Large frypan
  • Spatula
  • Cutting board with paper towel
  • Chef’s knife
  • Microplane

 Ingredients

  • ½ onion
  • 60g mushrooms (v – 150g mushrooms)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ½ tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 3 chicken thigh cutlets, skin off
  • 2 tbsp EVOO
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • 180 ml dry white wine (3/4 cup)
  • ½ tin diced tomatoes
  • 80ml (1/3 cup) chicken stock
  • 1 small bay leaf
  • 1 lemon
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 cups medium grain white rice (chef to cook)
  • (v – 4 eggs)

Method

  1. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  2. Prepare vegetables:
    a. Dice onion.
    b. Slice mushrooms.
    c. Crush garlic.
    d. Finely chop thyme.
  3. Cook vegetables in frypan:
    a. Fry diced onion in olive oil until translucent.
    b. Add mushrooms until all water is removed.
    c. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
    d. Add thyme.
    e. Deglaze with white wine and reduce completely until it no longer tastes acidic.
    f. Add tomatoes, chicken stock and bay leaf.
    g. Put in casserole dish.
    h. Wipe out pan.
  4. Cook chicken (v – eggs)
    a. Toss chicken in flour with salt and pepper added.
    b. Heat 1 tbsp EVOO in pan.
    c. Saute chicken until golden brown.
    d. (v – boil eggs for 7 minutes, chill in iced water for 10 minutes, peel)
  5. Put chicken (v – eggs) on top of base, cover with foil. Write cooking instructions below on foil.
  6. Prepare rice:
    a. Put rice in takeaway container.
    b. Zest lemon over rice.
  7. Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.
  8. At home, put in a 180 degree oven for 45 minutes, covered (75 minutes for 4 portions). Heat rice in microwave or saucepan and serve.

Spinach and ricotta lasagne

Equipment

  • Small baking tray
  • Chux or a sieve (for squeezing spinach)
  • Bowl
  • Jug
  • Spoon or spatula
  • Measuring spoon
  • Scale
  • Grater
  • Alfoil

Ingredients

  • Spray oil
  • 150g frozen spinach, thawed
  • 220g ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 30g (1 ½ tbsp) parmesan cheese
  • 200g passata (bottled tomato pasta sauce)
  • 30 g (1 1/2 tbsp) basil pesto
  • 3 large dried instant lasagne sheets
  • 35g (2 heaped tbsp) grated mozzarella or cheddar cheese
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  1. Gather your ingredients and equipment.
  2. Spray baking tray well with spray oil.
  3. Grate parmesan.
  4. Squeeze spinach hard through clean Chux or sieve until no water comes out, place in large bowl.  Add ricotta, egg and half the parmesan, season, mix well.
  5. Combine passata and pesto in a jug, mix, season.  Pour a little into the baking tray and spread over base – you want enough to lightly cover the base.
  6. Place a lasagne sheet on top, breaking to fit.
  7. Spread one third of the spinach mix over the lasagne sheet and spread, top with one third of the tomato sauce.
  8. Repeat layering, finishing with sauce.
  9. Sprinkle with grated cheese and remaining parmesan.
  10. Spray oil on one side of alfoil.  Cover lasagne with oiled alfoil.
  11. Write on top:  Bake 1 hour at 180 degrees (preheat oven 10 mins and remove foil first) – check at 50 mins.
  12. Clean down.
  13. At home, preheat oven to 180 degrees for 10 mins. Remove then bake 1 hour – check at 50 mins.

Note:

You can add different types of cheese in with the ricotta – blue cheese is delicious.  Or add a bit of chopped fried bacon or very well cooked finely chopped mushroom.  You can also make this in a slow cooker – double the recipe, assemble it straight into the slow cooker base, and cook covered on low for 4 hours.

Scroll to Top