Rachel Dow reviews an Italian cookery class to suit the season at the Cookery School in London's Little Portland Street.
Right in the heart of central London, just two minutes away from Oxford Circus, is the small but perfectly formed Cookery School. This is where I venture on a Thursday evening to discover that there is more to Italian cooking than pizza and pasta. The Summer Italian cooking class promises to provide a flavourful menu that includes pan griddled lamb with gremolata, caramelised onion focaccia and pannacotta for pudding.
The class kicks off with a glass of wine and meet and greet, immediately creating a relaxed atmosphere. We’re then shown how to produce the celebrated Italian dessert pannacotta, which literally translates as ‘cooked cream’. Having held preconceived notions about what a difficult dessert this must be to make, I’m pleasantly surprised to find that I’m wrong. It’s simply a matter of heating milk, cream and vanilla together with gelatin and letting it set. The clear and concise instructions are easy to follow and I make a mental note to try it at home.
After the dessert demo we are shown how to make bread dough, with the help of a Magimix, which greatly reduces the time and effort of this exercise. The key to making focaccia is to add a third of a cup of olive oil to the dough. This is what gives the bread a slightly oily and rich taste; the focaccia is then topped with herbs or vegetables. In this instance, we add caramelised onions, which emit an amazing aroma in the kitchen as it cooks.
We’re then let loose in the kitchen and commence chopping, slicing and mashing the vegetables and herbs, picking up some useful tips on the most effective way to prepare vegetables along the way, such as squashing garlic with the side of a knife to release the flavour, and slicing then squashing again to create a paste.
Cooking the lamb is a highlight of the evening’s activities. Once coated in oil and laid on the steaming griddle pan it lets out an exceptionally satisfying hiss. The sound, smell and colour of the meat are all aspects that we are alerted to by the chefs teaching us, to use as a guide that helps us work out how long the lamb needs to be on the heat.
The kitchen we work in (there are 12 of us) is small but well designed. At first, I’m concerned that I’d have to jostle to see the demonstrations in a tight space. However, factors such as a large mirror situated above the work surface ensure that everyone can see each step of the cooking process.
All of the ingredients are fresh, seasonal and of great quality. Here is where the secret to Italian summer cooking lies. If you start with good produce and season well you are much ore certain to create an authentic tasting dish.
The evening draws to a close when we sit down to enjoy our three course culinary masterpiece with a glass of wine. It tastes as good as it looks.
Pros:
• Extremely friendly, approachable and knowledgeable staff
• Clear and concise recipes which are both delicious and simple to follow
• Recipes are easily adaptable and the staff will change dishes to suit vegetarians
• You get to eat all the food
Cons:
• Small space, though it’s well designed
• Classes do overrun so keep any other plans for your evening loose
Cookery School is located at Little Portland Street, London, W1W 8BW. A variety of classes covering differing subjects are available. Day classes cost £130; evenings classes are £90. www.cookeryschool.co.uk.