Gourmet Cookery Course In Rural France

What You'll Do

Discover the beauty of rural French countryside and learn the art of gourmet french cuisine with a world-renowned chef! Each day you will experiment with new flavours and techniques in small groups with expert guidance and individual attention. Impress your friends and family with your new cooking repertoire after this stunning getaway.

2023 Dates

5th-10th August

9th-14th September

4-9 November

18 – 23 November

2024 Dates

23-28 March

The course begins on the Saturday early evening with champagne followed by a six-course gourmet dinner. You will have the opportunity to get to know your fellow guest/participants and sample the style of food you will be learning to cook for the rest of the course.

For the rest of the week we will have a full day in the kitchen on Sunday, mostly hands-on including bread making, butchery, fish prep, knife skills, sauces, seasoning techniques etc, with a couple of demonstrations and concluding in a six course gourmet dinner.

Monday & Tuesday again are hands-on until lunchtime, including making pasta, sous vide technique, sugar and chocolate work, pastry, and dinner preparation.

After lunch we have a pastry Masterclass, making croissants and macarons with a traditional French pastry chef.The next day we will go and visit a sustainable sheep farm where they produce a range of cheeses and yogurt.

Then it is back in the kitchen for the finishing touches of cooking and presenting dinner.

Wednesday is the last day in the kitchen and you are encouraged to use all your new skills in creating that night’s dinner.

After lunch we will visit Vitré, an authentic medieval town with beautiful chateau and cobbled street. Time to relax and do some shopping.

This cooking course is concluded with another six-course dinner.

The aim of this course is to build on each of the clients existing skills so that they leave feeling very confident, with a far greater understanding of ingredients & techniques so that they can take their cooking to the next level.

Accommodation:

Stay in a “traditional longère”, a renovated farmhouse, set in the heart of tranquil rural France. The house is surrounded by its own gardens, where we grow most of our produces organically.

Coffee and tea facilities in all rooms, free Wi-Fi point.

The property professionally equipped kitchen is located on the ground floor of the farmhouse and has been exclusively designed for these culinary vacations. A spacious lounge area with log fire, high standard ensuite bedrooms and tranquil grounds, makes it perfect for a relaxing gourmet break.

In clement weather, guests are welcome to relax and unwind in this quiet and elegant setting, and enjoy a genuine experience of leisure, pleasure, gastronomy and wellness within the premises.

Experience
Highlights

Master French cooking with professional French chef with 35 years experience

Luxury ensuite accommodation set in idyllic rural France

Farm to table with extensive gardens to provide ingredients

Experience Itinerary

Arrival

Arrive at Laval Train Station at 15:53pm for your transfer to the venue.

Sip your complimentary champagne and get settled into your beautiful surroundings whilst you meet and get to know your fellow guests.

17:00: Introductory talk with complimentary champagne and canapés. The talk will discuss the aims and course structure.

18.00: 6-course gourmet dinner

Menu:

Seared foie gras with pear and balsamic reduction

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Filet of seabass with a black garlic and mushroom risotto

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Gin and Tonic Sorbet
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Duck à l’orange, crispy potato terrine.

~

Raspberry and lime bavarois, honeycomb and meringue

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Cheese and biscuits
~
Tea and coffee

Accommodation

Renovated Farmhouse

Meals

Dinner

Making Soup, Bread & 6 Course Dinner

8.45 Breakfast (to include fresh croissants, breads and preserves, cereals, orange juice, yoghurts, tea and coffee.)

9.15 Kitchen. Welcome, explore kitchen/equipment etc…

Hands-on Basic knife skills; care of knives, safety, sharpening, chop and slice onion, brunoise of carrot, julienne of leek, artichoke, ratatouille,vierge dressing,

11.00 Demonstration Leek and potato soup served with croutons

11.15 Seasoning Techniques How to bring the best out of your ingredients

11.45Hands-on Bread making; plain, focaccia, caramelised onion & thyme, mixed seed & nuts, brioche.

13.00: Lunch. Fresh soup produced from our gardens, cheese, pickles, salads and bread

14.00 Demonstration/ Hands-on Ratatouille, Chicken butchery, Stuffed chicken ballotine, drumstick confit.

15.00 Demonstration Prep salmon, Gravadlax of salmon.

Hands-on Scallop in shell lutée, oysters, trout.

15.30: Demonstration Chicken stock, (white & brown), veal glace, fish stoc

Demonstrationhome-smoked trout, smoked onion.

16.30: Finish

17.00: Aperitifs and nibbles

17.30 : Back in the kitchen to finish prep

18.00: Enjoy your well deserved dinner!

Menu

Goat cheese soufflé
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Scallop in her shell lutée, leek fondue with smoked bacon

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Pear williams Sorbet
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Salmon filet, tiger prawn, artichoke and mini ratatouille

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Iced Tiramisu parfait
~
Tea and coffee

Accommodation

Renovated Farmhouse

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Making Tortellini & Sheep Farm Trip With Cheese Tasting

8.45: Breakfast

9.15: Menu Explanation

Kitchen: Demonstration of Pasta dough

10.45 Demonstration/hands-on Tortellini; filled with chicken and foie gras mousse, ravioli and tagliatelle.

Hands-on croque monsieur, 63° egg

Pea purée, beef Wellington, crème brulée, chilli and coconut ice cream, Brandy snap, caramel cages.

13.00: Lunch Tagliatelle with a bacon, tomato and onion sauce, fresh bread and salad, followed by cheese and biscuits.

14.00: Excursion –Visit of a local sheep farm, cheese and yogurt making visit Cheese tasting

17.00: Aperitifs and nibbles

17.30: Back in the kitchen to finish pre

18.00: Savour the dinner you have prepared yourself and feel accomplished.

Menu

Foie gras tortellini, pea purée and truffle foam

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Mini croque monsieur with a 63° egg

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Apple and Calvados Sorbet

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Beef Wellington, braised shallot and wild mushroom sauce

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Lemon verbena crème brulée, chilli and coconut ice cream

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Cheese and biscuits
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Tea and coffee

Accommodation

Renovated Farmhouse

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Charcuterie selection & Traditional French Patissier Master Class

8.45: Breakfast

9.15: Menu Explanation

Demonstration / hands-on

Sugar work, and chocolate piping, honey wafer baskets plus tuile work.

Sweet pastry, choux pastry, teardrop, iced soufflé.

Braised pork belly.

Hands-on Menu prep

French onions soup sous vide chicken, pomme fondante, chorizo and lime sauce

13.00: Lunch Selection of charcuterie, salads, homemade bread & pickles

14.00: Hands-on – Traditional French patissier Master-class – making croissants & macaroons

17.00: Aperitifs and nibbles

17.30: Back in the kitchen to finish prep

18.00: Dinner

Menu

French onion soup with cheese croutons

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Mojito Sorbet
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Medley of chicken (3 ways) with smoked onion purée & a béarnaise sauce

(sous vide)
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Strawberry and coquelicot in chocolate teardrop,

Iced pistachio parfait
~
Cheese and biscuits
~
Tea and coffee

Accommodation

Renovated Farmhouse

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Lunch BBQ & Dinner Challenge

8:45: Breakfast

9:15: Menu Explanation. This is the last day in the kitchen and you are encouraged to put your new skills to test in creating tonight’s dinner!

Your challenge, your design, you are cooking…

Hands-on with spring rolls, gravadlax, pork sous vide, chocolate tarte, mini croquembouche, sugar work.

13:00: Enjoy one of the highlights of the holiday with a Lunch Barbecue with your new friends!

14:00: Take some time to relax and enjoy croquet, boules and any final prep.

17:00: Aperitifs and nibbles

17:30: Back in the kitchen to finish prep

18:00: Dinner

Menu

Gravadlax of salmon scented with beetroot

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Crispy snail bonbon, garlic purée

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Bloody Mary Sorbet
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Tenderloin of pork with braised pork belly

(sous vide)
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Mini croquembouche on a chocolate ganache tart

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Cheese and biscuits
~
Tea and coffee

Accommodation

Renovated Farmhouse

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Departure

9:00: Enjoy your final breakfast and then say your farewells. You will depart being excited to bring your new techinuqes to your home kitchen for friends and family.

Departure before midday. F0r an included transfer back to Laval Train station for a 10:03am train from the accommodation.

Meals

Breakfast

Location Information

You will stay in idyllic rural France in Mayenne, set near to the Loire Valley.

FAQs

Fresh croissants, bread and preserves, cereals, orange juice, yoghurts, tea and coffee

Our courses are not designed for vegetarians so far.

If you have a dietary requirement this will need to be communicated to see what you can/can't have.

We offer a free return transfer from Laval Train Station. Collection is at 15:53 arrival time on Saturday and return at 10:03 on Thursday.

Transfers are possible at other times but will come at an additional cost.