Monthly Archives: October 2023

Culinary Excellence – Not Me, but getting there! (Padstow Day 4)

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‘Spoots’, commonly known as Razor Clams are delicious when prepared and cooked properly, I had my 1st taste of them many years ago At Tom Kitchins Michelin star restaurant in Edinburgh, they were delightful.

Our first dish, on the last day in the kitchen was a Jack Stein creation, from his book ‘Jack Steins World on a Plate’, Razor Clams served with Crab and Samphire. Cooking these gems of the sea is an art, too long and they are like rubber, too short, yuck, get the timing correct and you get tender delicious morsels that delight the palate.

Breakfast was served, the clams were cooked after steaming for 2-3 minutes and then finishing in a sauce of fish stock, cream and of course, butter. The Samphire added some texture and ‘saltiness’, like seasoning without adding salt from a shaker, very tasty indeed and quick to make.

As part of the last days menu we needed to prepare some more fish for stocks and reductions, we were given a Hake to deal with, it’s a soft fleshed fish so if you can cope with its delicate nature, everything else is easy, my attempt including removing the skin is above, well proud I was when I ‘got it done good’.

’Industrial’ kitchen equipment was used to prepare our next treat, a rich classic fish soup with rouille and croûtons, and a grating of parmesan. The rouille used a homemade harissa which was simply prepared in a blender before our very eyes, it was another tasty dish, packed full of flavour, with the crisp fiery croûton adding to the party, and extras available for those who wanted them, yes please!

The last day was not as busy as the previous three which was a relief, everyone was feeling the impact of hours on our feet, all the prep, cutting and checking our recipes in order to produce a decent plate of food, over and over.

It had been great fun at the cookery school but there was still work to be done, like preparing a top notch dish of Roast Tronçon of Turbot with Hollandaise Sauce! The various dishes we had been preparing during the week had given us the chance to learn new techniques, revise and practise those we had tried before which was a really good way to progress skills, and confidence.

The previous day, a large pot had been put on the hob with several blocks of butter to cook slowly, to make clarified butter, the smell was intoxicating.

Preparing Hollandaise takes some practise, this time was my best effort ever, and I think I may have finally cracked it. I mentioned consistency in my last post, being able to reproduce something the same, every time, that’s where my head was at, and continues to be, it makes cooking so much nicer, feeling confident in what you are preparing, knowing the end result will be excellent.

I was delighted, bright, glossy, a lovely consistency my Hollandaise was done. The Turbot, a fillet from a fish costing about £75, with only 5 – 6 fillets per fish was to be roasted, after some browning treatment on the hot plate. There are some techniques to understand when doing this, you can find out how by signing up for the course.

Once the fish was cooked we plated up, slathering the rich Hollandaise to our hearts content. We had also prepared a herb fines sauce, using Parsley, Tarragon, Chives and Chervil, this was placed around the plate and added an extra dimension to what was a delicious and extremely tasty plate of food.

Lets make sushi! Nick gave us a masterclass in making several types of Sushi. Before starting, the rice had been cooked, chilled and seasoned with a mixture of vinegar and sugar. Various styles were created, like Nigiri, a hand moulded ‘oblong’ of sticky rice, with typically, a layer of raw fish. Makisushi, a roll of rice and assorted fillings such as Cucumber and Salmon, or Tuna.

Next it was our turn, again in our pairs we produced plates of delectable tasty delights, using bamboo rolling mats to shape the MakiSushi, some even attempted the California Roll where the rice is on the outside rather than the inside. We were provided with Ginger, and some GENUINE wasabi, not the horseradish based product you typically get in the UK, this was the proper stuff from Japan, in root form, boy it was completely different to what you are normally served on the high street.

The course was complete, 4 days of intensive cooking, and eating, with Nick and his brilliant team making sure everything ran smoothly it had been fantastic. My knowledge and more important, confidence has been raised (again), and dealing with fish will become a more frequent activity, we are lucky to have some local suppliers where we can get fresh line caught fish whole, perfect.

I wandered back to he hotel after receiving my attendance certificate and saying goodbye, there was still one more thing I had booked but I had some time to relax and ended up watching some cookery programs in my hotel room!

I arranged this trip 6 months ago, a lot of planning was involved and now my last night was to be at probably, no yes, my favourite restaurant in the U.K.*, Paul Ainsworth at No.6, my second visit I had high hopes indeed. It was raining again (a lot), and I arrived at the front door at least 40 minutes too early.

*I am challenged as to favourite restaurant overall, No.6 is up there at the very top, but, there is one other restaurant where I have had an amazing meal that physically made me cry with delight, and the fish was the dish that did it for me. Read about it HERE

Right, back to the brilliant No.6.

Sitting above the restaurant is a cosy bar called Ci Ci’s, selling Cocktails and Pintxos it usually has to be booked in advance due to its cosy nature, there was room for me so I was welcomed up the stairs and invited to sit at a bar stool.

There is an interesting and extensive cocktail list, something for everyone, I decided on a ‘Three Of A Kind’, based on a quality Calvados it was delicious. Tom who was sorting my drink out was friendly and a perfect host, we chatted in-between his cocktail preparation, I was gearing up for a fab night downstairs in the restaurant. After I was served there appeared to be a ‘run’ of ‘Three Of A Kind’s’, either people were listening or they knew a thing or two.

Despite the amount of food that I had consumed already during the week, and on the last day of the cookery course, I was hungry and had some time to spare before my booking, so I decided to grab some Pinxtos, in my case Cave Aged Manchego, Rosemary Crackers and Chestnut Honey, delightful.

I ‘get’ savoury and sweet, this was a perfect marriage and got my taste buds tingling.

It was soon time for dinner and as we were going downstairs I was told of the refurb upstairs, and the creation of a pastry kitchen and was invited to take a quick look. Yes Please!

As I looked around I recognised the distinctive shape of Barkham Blue Cheese from Two Hoots Artisan Cheese makers, based near where I live! Middle Picture left shelf, the UFO shaped objects, it’s a cracker if you can get it!

I then recognised Alice who walked in behind me, an extremely competent Pastry Chef, now Restaurant Director, ‘welcome back’ she said, that’s the first sign of great service considering it was two years since my last visit.

I was prepared for a good night, but epic is a more appropriate description of the evenings events, truly memorable.

A tasting menu with matching wine flight was ordered, a special occasion, being my last night in Padstow after another culinary adventure it was the only choice I could make. The menu has land and sea options, and follows a story, a different style from other restaurants and great fun.

I was seated at the same table as last time, a perfect view into the kitchen, my favourite spot to watch all the going’s on.

Some nibbles to start things off, ‘Quavers”, with Vinegar and Seaweed seasoning, in a moreish Aubergine Dip was really surprising, so so tasty, and this was just a ‘snack’!

I won’t describe all the dishes this time, suffice to say the 1st course was a belter, I recognised the Cheese Scone, a delicious speciality of No.6 and featuring on the menu twice in different guises, the accompanying Blanc de Noirs from Alfriston in East Sussex, a pleasant treat being a UK sparkling wine, it was perfect.

Rathfinny Estate is a relatively young vineyard, established in 2010 it utilises a south facing slop, chalk soil and low intervention techniques to produce some amazing bubbles.

Chris McClurg, Chef Patron popped out of the kitchen and said hello, also welcoming me back and we chatted briefly before he was back in the ‘engine room’, preparing food ready for serving, a true gent.

Soon, Chris was back, personally serving my next course, the Smoked Eel with Crapaudine Beetroot another belter of a dish, the previous version I had two years ago was with a Pomme Anna. This was very tasty, I do love Eel, but don’t eat it often. The balance of all the textures and flavours was spot on, especially the earthiness of the Beetroot.

There was a very healthy serving of Kaluga Reserve N25 caviar which worked well.

An exquisite species, second largest of the sturgeon family reaching up to 1000kg. It is also known as the “river beluga” as it is the only other sturgeon from the Huso family; the other being the Huso Huso (Beluga). This extraordinary variety of sturgeon also produces the most amazing and large grains of caviar. Due to the old age of the fish and over a decade of waiting needed to produce caviar, the roe is one of the most prestigious and sought-after. It was very tasty indeed.

The wine match, a Trebbiano 2022, from an estate in Tuscany that dates back to the 20’s is heaped in history, and has been cared for by the Contini Bonacossi family, it was delicious, another belter of a paring.

Next course, hello Chris, I was getting star service tonight, Wild Turbot, booooooom, delicious. I loved the Scarpetta which appeared as I was about to finnish, Perché non fai la scarpetta? Scarpetta is the practise of mopping up your plate with bread. This bread, freshly made, warm and doused in a delicious olive oil. Yummmm! Apologies for the picture, I had dived in before taking a snap, it looked so good!

Another brilliant wine paring, this time from the Languedoc region of France, Boulevard Napoleon ‘Le Pal’ comes from the village of Livinière, 70 year old + vines produce a very special wine, only a few hundred cases are made each year the grapes are hand harvested, fermented and aged using French Oak Barriques.

In making wine there are many different sizes of barrels used. Barrique barrels are relatively small barrels, but not just any small barrels. Barriques are also known as Bordeaux barrels, because it was in Bordeaux that their shape and size was designed and developed. Barriques are relatively tall and have a capacity of  225 liters (59 gallons).

This winery is a partnership, part of the well known St. John chain based in London, Fergus Henderson is renowned for his hardcore nose to tail food, his restaurants are on my ‘must do’ list.

I adore this dish, ‘All Of The Pigeon’, it’s outstanding, moreish and makes me want to weep it’s that good. Using as much of the Pigeon as physically possible it hits all the taste buds, bouncing around the palate, teasing every flavour receptacle. I especially like the whipped Pigeon liver parfait piped into a crisp serrated shell, perfect.

The sumptuous red wine from the Veneto region of Italy was another perfect choice. La Grola, 90% Corvina Veronese and 10% Oseleta is manually harvested (hand picked) in the second half of September, fermented in steel tanks, then aged in ‘2nd use’ French Oak Barrels for 16 months and in large Slavonian barrels for another 2 months followed by bottle ageing for 10 months, its worth the wait! Delicious.

Throughout the evening, Loren, the assistant sommelier had been explaining why each wine was paired with a particular dish, not just a quick ‘it’s dry’ or it’s ‘rich’ or it’s ‘red’, the explanations were beautiful, eloquent and accurate for my palate, very impressive indeed I suggested creating some extra ‘tasting notes’ as part of the dining experience, maybe on the back of the wine card that you get presented with to remind you of the wine flight contents.

The next dish was a pre-dessert, an extremely clever play on a previous course, I am not spilling the beans suffice to say it was brilliant! The winery, from Tokaj in Hungary called Dobogó means clippity clop and produces ‘Mylitta’ desert wine, your can find out more about this small family run company by clicking the link above.

Almost done! I had arrived at just after 19:15 and it was now after 10:30, the evening had slowly drifted as each plate arrived at the table, described in detail followed by the accompanying wine, brilliant service, un-rushed and delightful.

The ‘main’ dessert was a combination of hot, cold, texture, balanced flavours and comprised of 3 main elements, each with ‘sub’ elements, complex, but seriously tasty. I am not really a desert person but this was packed with flavour, but at the same time light and a good finish to the main event.

The wine again was perfect, A Macvin du Jura Blanc, a blend dating back to the 14th century. It was sweet, complex and a mixture of Jura grape varieties and Marc du Jura, a strong distillate of grape skins, pulp and seeds. It’s strong!

My guilty pleasure is cheese, I am a serious cheese addict and will often have cheese as an evening meal, with an assortment of biscuits, grapes, apple and all sorts. I am amazed at how milk can be capable of producing so many different flavours and textures, and when you apply heat to the right cheese, its miraculous transformation into something extra special.

On my last visit to No.6 I don’t recall a cheese course, this time there was. The Barkham Blue I mentioned earlier is a favourite, especially a Christmas. I recall a year or two ago not being able to get any as the farm where the cheese is made had had a fire, luckily they are back to normal now and I can get it locally at a couple of specialist outlets. The cheeses were served with warm Apple Pie, I love the mix of sweet and savoury, and salty with the blue cheese, it works for me, a delicious end to a stunning meal.

We were done, the end of an evening of taste, imagination and wonderment, an adventure to test the palate and taste buds in the best possible way. The staff were the best, polite, generous and warm, the whole experience from entering the front door 40 minutes early, to the final dish had been just brilliant.

A big thanks to Paul Ainsworth and all the team front and back of house for the most enjoyable evening, and to Tom the Cocktail Shaker, Alice, Chris and Loren for their friendship and kindness during my evening at No.6.

That was it, my 2nd ‘Eating Padstow’ trip was complete, off to bed, sleep and rest before setting off for the 4 hour drive back home!

…………………………….Until Next Time………………..L8ers……………………….

Thai, Italian and Exotic, Padstow (Day 3)

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I was chilled, calm and relaxed, the week so far had delivered, even overdelivered in so many ways, like before my planning had worked and everything ran as I had hoped, the weather had been great but rain was forecast, but who cares when your in a kitchen with like minded classmates learning new cookery skills.

As before I was up and out early, sitting in the school by 08:30, Phil preparing my coffee it set the day off nicely. The others drifted in, questions about the previous nights entertainment, who had eaten where, and what, all we seemed to discuss was food!

The first dish of the day, our mid morning snack was an unusual, simple but really delicious affair, a Smoked Mackerel Salad with Apple and Thai Basil. The unusual was that the smoked Mackerel was fried until crisp, it added an amazing texture to an exotic salad, dressed with Nước chấm a blend of fish sauce, lime, chillis and sugar, delish.

I can count the number of times I have cooked a risotto on one hand, its not that I don’t like a good one, I have eaten a few over the years in the UK and Italy (I made that one at my first international cookery school trip many years ago in 2013), they are just really hard work for a savoury rice pudding!

As expected, prepare a really really good stock, this is the basis for the flavour, and make sure it’s hot when you add it to the rice, that’s been fried in oil to start to break it down, followed by a decent glut of wine, nice.

After 25 or so minutes of continuous stirring the Risotto was ready, glistening with the added butter and umami from some Parmesan cheese it was ready for some seafood, squid and shrimp which we had prepared earlier and just needed some heat on a Plancha to finish things off. I was eating out (again) that evening, my cooking partner had missed the morning session but arrived in time for a Risotto lunch, I decided he could have mine, it was very good apparently.

Back to the front for the next demonstration we were shown how to deal with Turbot, a beautiful if quite expensive fish it’s ‘meaty’, and prized by many a fish lover as their favourite species, I love it. Going back over 25 years to when we were blessed with a TV Series and book called ‘Rick Steins Fruits of the Sea’ this was a ‘classic’ dish, with mushrooms, potato, truffle and a rich sauce it was great fun to prepare, and even better to eat.

Cooking in stages, reducing stock, adding vermouth, reducing, adding, ham, shallots and potato the flavour layers were building nicely, I love this style of cooking, tasting as you go you can elevate simple dishes to something extra special, and ruin them by going too far, it’s food creativity in practise.

In order for things to work, preparation is critical so ‘mise en place’, gathering all the ingredients and making sure you don’t suddenly realise you have forgotten something and overcooking happens. Luckily, our ingredients had been laid out for us on trays so we only had to do the final prep, saving a lot of time and ensuring we all had a chance of making something absolutely delicious. This was a cracking lunch.

The final dish of the day was, as previous days our chance to relax a bit, ask lots of questions of Nick, our chef tutor and wind down, this was not a holiday, it was actually hard work but very rewarding and enjoyable.

Seafood in a Crab and Ginger Broth introduced some new techniques, like clarifying stock to remove any sign of a solid, and produce a clean, clear and vibrant bath for the seafood to be added when cooked.

As I was walking back to my hotel I caught a glimpse of those extremely brave fisherman heading out to sea, risking their lives to bring amazing ingredients for us to cook and eat!

It was wet, I am being polite it was pi&&ing down with rain as I started my evening walk before dinner, taking in the sights of Padstow, specifically the lovely harbour area where a boat was dealing with nets, I stumbled across the R.N.L.B Anne Allen, launched in 1932 it’s crew had saved 43 lives, truly amazing for such a simple, exposed craft.

Hello Sam, I was back at Caffe Rojano and my waiter (actually the Operations Director), was previously the head chef and had cooked my meal 2 years ago, when I was in Padstow attending a 2 day cookery school and ‘eating Padstow’ for the 1st time.

My plan for the evening was the same as before, albeit with different menu options I was going to create a tasting menu, with wine flight, with a 15 minute break in-between each dish. To help things going a Blood Orange Gin and tonic helped in my decision making process, and soon the evening was well underway.

Off the starting gate was a delicious Tuna Tartare, served on a toasted Sourdough bread with corn, and some lightly pickled onion, paired with a Pinot Grigio, Ponte del Diavolo, Pavia, Italy 2022. I’ve just checked the current menu and it looks like its been replaced with a Mackerel dish, Caffe Rojano does change its menu frequently according to season and produce availability.

Sam was really accommodating with my ‘tasting menu’ idea and made sure that food and wine were delivered as requested. When time allowed we also had a chance to have the odd conversation which I really enjoyed being a solo diner, I had pictures of my previous visit on my phone which was fun to discuss as he had been the chef and cooked my food, also very tasty, he is a great cook.

I am a sucker for Croquetas, especially aged Manchego and Jason Iberico, these were awesome. Crispy outside and soft and giving centre they packed a real punch, I could have had a couple of servings to be honest. The matching wine was a ‘belter’, seriously moreish De Loach, Russian River 2020 Chardonnay from California, it really hit the spot, delicious.

Lastly, I didn’t do dessert, a bowl of Paprika Fried Squid with Cayenne Mayonnaise, Parsley, Lemon and Lime, matched with a 2022 Gavi di Gavi, Terre Antiche, Piemonte. This was also a flavour punch, crispy outside, tender on the inside just booooom delicious.

This was my fourth night in Padstow, I was really impressed, the point was consistency, I had tried all the restaurants before and they had delivered then, and then, two years later equally delivered if not more so. I get so disappointed eating out, paying decent money and not feeling it, that sense of calm and satisfaction after awesome food and service, thanks Sam and the team behind Caffe Rojano for another awesome night out. I will be back!

……………………………….Until Next Time……………………L8ers…………………..

Mussels, Crab, Gurnard and Lemon Sole (Padstow Day 2)

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It was a beautiful morning, I was up and excited for the days tuition and cooking, sleep had been restful, the Harbour Hotels bed and pillows agreed with me, after a cup of tea and shower I walked down to the harbour to look at the day boats before heading to the school, a daily habit.

The communal table at the far end of the ‘kitchen’ was my starting position, welcomed by Phil, ‘what would you like to drink Jules’, I would alternate between Latte and Cappuccino, soon the others would drift in and discuss the previous evenings activities, we were all staying local but in different hotels and guest houses. I still had the previous evenings meal on my mind, it was really good, what were we going to cook today was my next thought.

Nick came over and asked us to the front of the kitchen, ready for the next demonstration, we were going to cook Mussels, hmmmmm, what did I have last night, these were different, no XO, but Garlic, Tomato, Chilli and Parsley, delicious. We were taken through the process, and at the same time questions were asked and stories told about Nicks chef life, interesting and amusing at the same time, he had some great stories to tell which got everyone engaged.

Interesting was the source and reasoning for picking a particular supplier of mussels, West Country Mussels, they are amazing. Grown offshore near Fowey they are very plump, have a thinner shell and much less gritty than the mussels you get rope grown in estuaries and close to the shoreline, they were the same ones I had the previous evening.

After Nick prepared each dish we all got to take a picture of the finished meal, we also got a taster so we could understand what our dish should be like flavour wise, obviously everyone has their own palate so there was always an amount of ‘interpretation’ here and there! Above left is Nicks taster, right is my lunch at the communal table, it was very tasty.

It’s Sunday and earlier today there was an episode of Ricky Stein’s Seaford Odyssey on TV, he was in his original small kitchen at ‘The Seafood”, cooking Lemon Sole with a delicious spiced butter, I know it’s delicious as we all cooked the very same dish last week, on day 2. Learning the 2 common methods of preparing the fish before cooking was fascinating, can you spot the difference in the picture above. There were a couple of amusing stories relating to this, if you want to find out you will need to book the course and learn some fab skills at the same time.

Off we went in our pairs, chatting, chopping, slicing and preparing, deciding which method to go with, it made a difference but ultimately, a delicious grilled flatfish with flavoured butter ended up on the dinner plate, along with crisp glass of Muscadet this time, served by the ever present Phil, who also advised, guided and ‘got stuff ready’, so we could focus on the cooking and make the most of our time.

Excuse my french but Gurnard is a bugger of a fish to prepare, it has an awkward shape and bones in unusual places, Nick sorted one like it was child’s play, the rest of us took a little longer! This was a brilliant dish from ‘Rick Steins India’ book, a Madras Curry base packed with tomatoes, mustard seeds, onion and Tamarind it was a belter. This could easily be prepared using Cod or any other firm white fish, it wasn’t too challenging except the fish preparation, one of the reasons we were all attending the school.

Singapore Chilli Crab was our next adventure, after Nick explained how to tell the difference between male and female we all got a crab to prepare, its not too difficult once you have been shown the good and not so good bits. No part of the crab is poisonous, some parts are just unpleasant so don’t believe all the stories you may have heard about dead mans fingers!

We had all been snacking on demo dishes and eating our own efforts, I was conscious that I was out again that evening so put the breaks on and let my colleague have my efforts, so that I had some space for the special event later on.

The ‘Tuesday demo’ was a delicious looking Indonesian Seaford Curry (£39.95 in the restaurant), served with a Green Bean and Grated Coconut Salad, Crispy Shallots and Garlic. We were shown the various stages and when completed everyone was given a serving, it was very popular.

In the summer, Padstow is heaving with people, this time of year it’s a peaceful idyl, there are a few tourists around but come evening it’s almost empty. I went for my routine stroll, the evening was warm, the forecast rain had not arrived and I sat by the harbour looking at the fishing boats and imagining the horror of being on one, during really rough seas, not something I would want to experience.

St Petroc’s Bistro was my evenings destination, the executive chef Mark O’Hagen and I had a conversation on 10th November 2021, I had suggested adding some black pudding to the pigeon salad dish I had that evening, we had remained in contact ever since.

Starting with service Yaz was going to make sure I had a great evening the menu arriving promptly, along with a ‘Tarquins Rick Stein’ gin and Fevertree Tonic to set the evening going. As the previous evening I had been looking at the menu for weeks before, trying to reduce my options to a point of decision, it was still difficult.

There were appetiser options before starters and something caught my eye, Salt Cod Brandade with Olive Tapenade and Sour Dough toast, that sounded interesting and something I had not eaten before so it went straight to the top of the ‘must have’ list.

What a decision, absolutely delicious…. Notable (I’m fussy), the Sour Dough was perfectly grilled, no soft lazy edges it was brilliantly done, I know its just a bit of bread but when you have a soft Brandade you need the contrast, it was perfect. As for the Brandade it was delicious, meltingly soft, seasoned with a spread of Olive Tapenade it was a perfect way to get the taste buds going, boooom.

For starters I chose the Smoked Salmon with Horseradish Cream and Walnut Bread, another delicious banging dish. Yaz had been the perfect host so far, checking on me occasionally, not imposing, a beautiful balance of service and attention, a credit to St. Petroc’s.

Back to the starter, the Salmon had a delicate smoke, not heavy and intrusive but subtle and sitting in the background, the Horseradish Cream had the right amount of heat, the chives providing a hint of onion, the Walnut Bread was a perfect match, enough Walnut to be noticeable and offer some texture, simple done brilliantly.

It was the main event and Yaz walked up with my Bass, Beure Blanc and Spinach, it looked fab. Bright Yellow butter sauce, obviously using quality eggs again, St.Ewe as I was to find out later in the week and perfectly cooked Bass fillet, crispy skin and soft giving flesh, it was delightful. My chosen wine for the evening was a bottle of Domain Horgelus which was a perfect match, cutting through the rich sauce like hot knife through butter, what a meal.

A busy day in the kitchen prepping, cooking eating and just the best evening, beautiful service from Yaz and Mark, you knocked it out the park (again), thank-you for making my lonesome evening so enjoyable and memorable.

(Just a quick note, I paid full price for this week in Padstow and have received no incentives or persuasion that would affect my comments and reviews, they are all my personal and unbiased experiences)

……………………………………………Until Next Time……………………L8ers………………

Scallops, Prawns, Sole & Lobster (Padstow Day 1)

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Each day started at 08:45 (or usually 08:30 for me, I am keen!), with a nice coffee freshly made by Phil, one of the professional chef support team who supported Nick the chef tutor. Nick has either run, or worked in nearly all of the ‘Stein’ establishments and has over 25 years hands-on experience of the chef trade, not just focussed on fish, he is extremely good.

Each day had a list of practical techniques that we would learn, by preparing specific dishes carefully planned to complement each other. On the first day, we would sort out some Scallops, Prawns, Fillet and de-skin Dover Sole and make Lobster Thermidor, YUMM.

There was a rhythm and routine that was followed, it worked really well like 2 years previous. I tend to learn by a combination of seeing, doing and pictures, I try and capture the before and after of each stage with my camera, taking notes occasionally where clarification is required. I was teamed up with Roger who had flown in from Australia to do the course, and see his son in the UK, he was really nice and we worked well together. There was a lot to do, so individual working wouldn’t allow dishes to be completed, we shared the workload and swapped over when required so that we got a chance to do everything if that makes sense.

A simple dish of Steamed Scallops, in the half shell, with Ginger, Soy, Sesame Oil and Spring Onion involves a number of processes to take an ordinary dish, to an extraordinary dish. Understanding how and where to clean the delicate crustacean is an art, requires knowledge, dexterity and patience so that you don’t damage the expensive ingredient. Following Nicks instruction during the demonstration we carefully went through the process and within 30 or so minutes, sat down to the most delicious breakfast!

The deep fried Coconut and Chilli prawns with Papaya Dipping Sauce were next, more technique but these I have cooked before, the dipping sauce is especially delicious and this was to be our early light lunch, the wine glasses were on the table and we had the option of a French Muscadet, or my favourite, the Xanadu 2020 Chardonnay from Margaret River Australia, it was delish, as were the prawns.

Sole a la Meunière is very special (In my humble opinion). The fish is currently costing approximately £26 online from reputable suppliers, expensive due to its ‘meaty’ texture and use by all the top chefs which drives up the price. To be honest, it is delicious if treated respectively and not over done. Eating Dover Sole in a decent restaurant you will probably pay £45 – £50 depending on location and chef, and we were going to learn how to give the respect this mighty fish deserves. There is considerably skill required to get the fish on a plate and if you want to learn, sign up for the course like I did, it’s great fun and you get to eat dishes you might not even think of trying, like we all did.

Anyone for Lobster Thermidor? Yes please! Half a large Thermidor will cost you about £55 at a decent restaurant, if you learn the techniques involved, then you can eat at home for much less, it won’t be quite the same as decent restaurants use fresh lobster, whereas most people won’t like dealing with live, they can be problematic if you don’t know how to safely put them to sleep and cook them. Frozen Lobster is available for £11 from some supermarkets in the shell so you can have a go if you are in the know. As before, Nick showed us the techniques involved and we were soon with our ‘partners’ preparing and cooking away until we were done, sat at the communal table, comparing notes and tucking in.

At the end of each day we were treated to a demonstration, something we didn’t have to cook, but could enjoy without the sweat and tears! Day 1 was Splash Café Clam Chowder in Sour Dough Bowl, I remember seeing Rick Stein eat this in the Road To Mexico series. The recipe is a closely guarded secret as it’s the cafés speciality so this version is an interpretation, I was eating out that night so did not have any, but it smelt delicious, I will have a go back at home.

So on day one, we had learned to prepare and cook menus with the equivalent worth of approximately £145, and had the joy of eating them, the course had easily lived up to my expectations, day 2 was ahead but before that, a treat was in store.

I had a routine, after each day I went back to the hotel, had a cup of Earl great tea in my room, looked at restaurant menus, then went for a walk, Padstow is so calm this time of year now the mass of tourists have left. I booked this ‘event’ months ago, it wasn’t a holiday or a vacation, I have an overactive brain, often overthink things and therefore need something ‘intensive’ to help me relax and calm down. Food is my thing and the cooking week, along with eating was like medicine or treatment to help me to stay sane!

When I booked the cookery school, it wasn’t without considerable planning. Like before, those 2 years ago I was going to ‘Eat Padstow’, starting at Ricks Seafood Restaurant, then St. Petroc’s Bistro, then Caffe Rojano and finally Paul Ainsworth at No.6, The food focus would help stop my brain wander and give it some relax time.

Seafood is my thing, if ever we eat out, if I can be confident of the quality I will lean towards fish over meat every time. The Seafood restaurant has grown considerable in the last 30 or so years, now having some rooms above you can stay in, a couple of the guests at the cookery school were doing just that.

On arrival I was shown to my table and the lovely Kelly was to be my waitress for the evening. ‘The Seafood’, as Nick our chef tutor used to call has an extensive menu, enough to tempt most palates and I had probably gone through it at least 10 times in the week before my arrival, it takes me ages to choose, I have to remove options before I arrive to speed things up, it was still challenging!

The wine menu also offers a great choice, by the glass or bottle so caters for most budgets. Eventually I had made my choice, after noting at least two dishes I had cooked and eaten earlier, which made the decision making process more challenging, rather than easier, and I was also trying to remember what else we were cooking so I didn’t pick those dishes, which I managed to do last time!

Mussels and Clams in XO Sauce started things off, Kelly provided a lemon/water finger bowl to enable me to clean my fingers, this was a hands-on eating experience and extremely good it was too. Rich Umami, succulent Mussels and Clams it was delicious. I had picked a favourite wine of mine, Gruner Veldtliner, Wagram Heiderer_Mayer 2021 from Austria, it worked a treat. Earlier, Nick had been talking about where they source their mussels from, these were stunning.

let’s move onto the main, after such a blinding starter my expectations were over the roof to be honest, and I wasn’t disappointed at all, far from it. I am familiar with the term ‘mi cuit’, it means partially cooked and is a technique I learnt in France a few years back, preparing the controversial Foie Gras.

In this case though, we are talking a Trout fillet poached in Olive Oil, served with a Potato Salad and Cucumber, with a side order of thin cut Chips. The fillet is cured in salt first, so doesn’t require seasoning, then lightly poached in Olive Oil, jeez it was so good, you can see the moist flaky texture in the picture above, the flavour so delicate and perfectly matched with the cucumber and potato salad. The chips were also spot on, crispy , fluffy, delightful, I was there, in my happy place feeling chilled and relaxed………..

’The Seafood’ delivered, front of house, in service, Kelly was perfect, not too invasive like some places, just delivering the best dining experience. The chefs, spot on, awesome cooking, thank-you.

…………………………………………….Until Next Time………………………………..L8ers…………………….

Deja Vu – Padstow II (Part 1)

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I had that feeling of deja vu, I have been here before, similar circumstances, am I ill again. As a child I suffered from petit mal (a mild form of epilepsy characterized by brief spells of unconsciousness without loss of posture), my circumstances did not include the unconsciousness, but I was having regular events where I would be somewhere, immediately think I have been here before, and the effect caused nausea and I was infrequently physically sick. The cause was apparently my left brain lobe being a millisecond out of sync with my right brain lobe, luckily it was gone, thanks to medication by the time I was in my early 20’s but such conditions prevent you driving until you are clear of ‘attacks’ for three years.

I was actually back in Padstow, the same location as I was approximately two years prior in 2021, to attend Rick Steins Cookery School, but this time a four day event The Ultimate Fish & Shellfish Cookery Course, with the brilliant chef/tutor Nick Evans. I knew Nick from my previous visit, and had also popped in to say hello during a Cornwall vacation last year, just after the school kitchen had undergone a refit, it looked great.

Unlike last time I drove down on the Sunday afternoon, there was a ‘getting to know the group’ session on the Sunday evening as it was a full class of 14, and canapés/drinks would enable everyone to meet and get to know each other before the course started.

I had not eaten on Sunday, and not much on Saturday, I was conscious that there would be a lot of food over the coming week and had actually had a couple of days without food to prepare my body for the onslaught, well it’s not that bad but it made sense to ‘create some room’.

The 234 mile trip took about 4 1/2 hours with breaks, and whilst on a tea break at one of the services, did a quick check to see what might be open on arrival to start the week off, I already had reservations for every evening except Sunday, just in case there was a delay in my arrival in Padstow. Rick Steins Fish & Chip Shop was open until 19:00, yeaasssss.

I arrived at my ‘home’ for the week, The Harbour Hotel, Padstow. The hotel commands an amazing view, I had a sea view room on the top floor and from there you can see the Camel Estuary, and the village of Rock. It’s a lovely location, the rooms are very clean and comfortable, breakfast was included, but for me, as I was going to be grazing all day, I didn’t get a chance to see what was on offer although overhearing the guests, it was extremely good. From my room I could also see the Cookery School, and other ‘Rick Stein’ outlets, the Deli and Fish Bar. There is always a large gin in a decanter in the room, and two bottles of Fevertree Tonic for you to enjoy as a welcome, a really nice touch. You can see the hotel in the picture above, I was admiring the harbour view my new friend Henry the Pigeon!

After a quick change I had walked the 2 minutes to the Fish and Chip shop and had settled down at the bar, the service was efficient, menu in my hand in seconds and there was only one option on my mind, Cod and Chips. The Steins partner with a number of charitable foundations, in this case ‘One Feeds Two’, where for every meal you buy, a meal is donated, in this case to child living in poverty somewhere in the world, so my ‘investing’ in this meal would help some child somewhere in the world, nice. I placed my order including some homemade Tartare Sauce and a large glass of Spanish wine, I wasn’t driving till Friday morning so that was perfect, the food arrived promptly.

This was no ordinary fish and chips, the fish, as you can hopefully see in the picture the fish was very fresh, never frozen there were large succulent flakes falling away, the batter perfectly thin and crisp, the tartare sauce was bright golden yellow, obviously excellent eggs and packed with cornichon and capers, it was banging. The wine was crisp and cut through everything nicely, it was just delicious and a perfect way to spend some time before the reception at 19:00. There are gluten free options for the batter, and if you don’t want you meal cooked in beef dripping, they have a separate fryers for gluten free and vegetarian, attention to detail is spot on.

I was first to arrive at the cookery school reception and grabbed a quick picture so you can see the main school area, our classroom for the following four days, a demo area at the front with switchable TV screens, and the workstations fully equipped with top quality professional equipment. Behind is a communal table for eating with a lovely view of the Camel Estuary.

Other ‘classmates’ started to drift in and soon we were mingling like old school chums at a reunion, wine glass in one hands, food in the other. Aarron, one of the senior sous chefs had just been promoted to head chef at Rick Steins cafe and came along to cook our nibbles, not your typical sausage roll or sandwich. We were treated to a range of tasty delights, like Halloumi Sagnaki with honey and black sesame seeds, Loc Lac, a spicy Cambodian lettuce wrap with spicy Beef ,Chilli and lime, Thai Fish Cakes and Chicken Satay, all freshly made in front of our eyes, delightful.

Two hours passed and before long people were departing to get some rest, some guests had travelled from Australia and Portugal to attend the course, which was going to be a lot of fun.

……………………………………..Until Next Time………………………..L8ers…………………….