Monday
8.30am – To make the most of your time at the Cookery School we serve breakfast at 8.30am, it is a traditional French affair of homemade breads, croissants and homemade preserves, cereals, yoghurts and a good helping of coffee, tea and orange juice are also available.
10am – Kitchen tour & knife skills
– You’ll receive a tour of the kitchen and an explanation of the equipment and be loaned your own set of chef’s knives before your first lesson learning how to chop, slice, julien and dice food
11am – Hands on French cooking lessons
– On your first day you’ll learn to cook a traditional gateau pithiviers, an ornately decorated puff pastry dessert with a delicious crème d’amande at the centre as well as chef David’s famous pizza gersois (local onions, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and thinly sliced duck breast) and a prepare a pate sucree (the base for the tarte aux pommes you will be preparing the next day)
3pm – Afternoon cooking lesson learning to cook a range of French dishes and desserts
Following a traditionally long French lunch you will make your way to Chef Bernard will introduce you to the art of preparing foie gras. You will prepare four different types of foie gras –mi-cuit, traditional, cru and pain d’épices and then another quintessentially Gascon dish; cassoulet. Bernard will share with you his tried and tested wisdom as to the best way in which to prepare his most popular dish.
You’ll then prepare crêpes for the evening dinner and the sauce suzetteyou prepared at the beginning of the day will be the finishing touch to this traditional French classic. As the first day comes to a close you will return to Chef David’s kitchen to complete two final pastries; Pâte Sablée and Pâte Sucrée.
7pm – You are invited to experience Bernards signature menu: an haute cuisine experience in traditional Gascon manner including the three different types of foie gras that you prepared earlier… Bon appetit.
Accommodation
You’ll be staying in the restored French farmhouse is surrounded by the Gascon countryside.
