@Shelovescake

Founder of Rosey's Village Table, Leith's Diploma Student, small-event catering, cakes, desserts and nibbles for every occasion, recipes and dinner party ideas

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May 2026
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  • Leith’s Advanced Term – Week 1

    Two words to describe advanced term at the end of week one: complexity, refinement. The tone was set by the head of school on our first day back: the final term will require all our energy, commitment and focus if we are to achieve our potential. In the kitchens, the complexity of the recipes has ramped up with a considerable number of skills both newly and previously learnt to be executed with precision. Alongside the ratcheting up in difficulty, the teachers are pushing for us to work more quickly and efficiently with punchier service times. And to add to the vibe of producing fine dining restaurant quality food, the kitchens have been completely rearranged over the Easter break so they are more akin to a professional kitchen. Gone are our own drawers with the utensils close to hand, and the bowls, jugs and juicers within easy reach under our benches. Everything has a new home somewhere in the kitchen. Every day is like a treasure hunt as we figure out the new configuration.

    But what about the food, I hear you ask! For week one there were a range of delicious recipes and cuisines starting with Thai. Day one was an all day group cooking exercise recreating dishes shown to us by Andy Oliver from Som Saa at the end of last term. A simple soup of greens and shiitake with an egg dropped in just as the soup boils to create strings of cooked egg amongst the clear broth. Incredibly comforting – this is what you need at the end of a tough day. Next, a green papaya salad Bangkok style. This was prepared in a Thai pestle and mortar – high-sided and deep with a rolling pin sized pestle with which to muddle and bruise. For main course, Som Saa’s famous crispy fish green curry with Thai aubergines and wild ginger. Served with jasmine rice, it was the perfect balance of salty, sweet, spicy and tangy. We made the base of the curry from our own coconut cream which required some muscle work to crack into coconuts and separate the flesh from the hairy shell. To finish, we created delicious baby dumplings from a squash purée dough, poached in water with a pandan leaf and then warmed through and served with more of the coconut cream flavoured with sea salt and sugar. Each dumpling encase a surprise nugget of palm sugar which oozed into the cream on eating.

    On day two we got to grips with oyster shucking. An instructive in-kitchen dem and we were away serving them on a deep bed of sea salt and a twist of lemon. But, of course, this wasn’t all we had to do. We also prepared cod cheeks, pane’d and deep-fried them. They were served alongside a citrus mayonnaise (made by machine, not hand, woohoo!) and a sharp and crunchy pickled veg salad with fennel and chilli. It made for a holiday-worthy lunch in the spring sunshine. In the afternoon, we had a ‘vegetable-led’ dem. Grace cooked us pillowy soft and light potato gnocchi with braised artichokes, asparagus and freshly podded peas and broad beans: spring on a plate. The following day we recreated it ourselves including braising the artichokes. Quite a bit of effort is required to get to the tasty heart of the flower and ensure they don’t lose their vibrant colour (acidulated water is a must).

    The most complex dems of the week were the salt-baked celeriac, with hen of the woods, smoked emulsion, mushroom foam and smoked almond migas; and the beef fillet with red wine jus, potato terrine, wild garlic emulsion, baby carrots and white asparagus. An abundance of technical skills and it was these recipes which really gave me the signal of the change in level for advanced term. We’ll be taking our turn at the celeriac and accompanying foams and emulsions next week. But before that, our final cook of week one was a very beige dish of sweetbreads (the pancreas of a veal), Madeira jus and pommes purée. The latter is more refined than simple mash. The French-named version is made by scooping out the flesh of baked potatoes (rather than boiled), passing through a sieve before emulsifying with warm butter, cream and milk. The baked potato can absorb more of the unctuous dairy mix than boiled potatoes resulting in a richer, smoother finish. Sweetbreads aren’t my cup of tea but it was good to learn how to prepare and cook them; plus continue to elevate our jus-making skills with a Marco Pierre-White recipe.

    The week ended with an extra virgin olive oil tasting. Our guide, Paolo, was a delight and an inspiration. Having been a consultant corporate strategist all his life, he and his wife chose to retire to Italy in a Roman villa of their own design and making. The grounds of said villa were blessed with olive trees and at some point those trees became acres and a big business. Sadly, his wife died but the memory of her is kept alive in the name of the business: I&P – Ianna (her name) and Paolo (his). Paolo taught us how to make olive oil by hissing through our teeth to ensure even distribution across our taste buds. Much coughing ensured but not enough to mar the fruity, peppery flavour. Paolo informed us he was somewhere between 80 and 90. He looked fantastic which he assured us was down to drinking a spoonful of extra virgin every day on waking. Simple as that! Remove your bottle from the kitchen and pop it on your bedside table for a long and prosperous life.

  • Stage at Toklas – Day Three

    Henceforth, I shall be finishing all of my dishes with a healthy dribble of extra virgin olive oil. My main take-away from three days at Toklas: extra virgin makes everything shiny and delicious. A case in point: the ricotta and orange cake with is drizzled with both an orange syrup and extra virgin before serving. The olive oil (which is also in the cake) elevates the pudding with richness and a savoury quality that brings the plate together in unifying song. The cake performed the finale of my on the house lunch which marked the end of my stage. The prelude to the cake was the casconcelli verdi with ricotta, peas and lemon and the Toklas green salad. To drink: a dry, acidic yet fruity German Riesling. Such a lovely way to say thank you. And a reward which was considerably sweeter given the final task I had been assigned: mandolining garlic for confit…for over an hour! By the end my legs were fizzing from standing still for so long. But, thankfully, due to the advice to ‘double glove’, my fingers were in tact and didn’t stink of garlic.

    The day started well with the head chef assigning me to ‘garnish’, which is where sides and pasta are made and plated. I was asked to make the pink fir and winter tomato al forno (a recipe I have already copied – see my version below). This was followed by slicing squid alongside the head chef. He’d taken delivery of a large quantity that morning and had a plan to braise it with garlic, basil and roasted datterini tomatoes. Just before lunch service, I got the chance to be at the (very) hot stone stove to sauté spinach. Cubing butter and portioning crab were my other tasks of note for the morning. And then my three days was over in a flash.

    I’m so delighted to have chosen Toklas for my Easter stage. It is one of my favourite London restaurants, which I now know has an incredibly supportive head chef and a super talented and friendly team. Not to mention incredible produce handled with respect and skill in a kitchen that it tight for space but not for flair. Toklas has set the bar very high for future stages.

  • Stage at Toklas – Day Two

    I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the smell of a walk-in fridge. It’s dead air infused with stored food. A paradoxically stale odour. Working on larder section today, I was in and out of the fridge on repeat, mostly holding my breath. Perhaps I’m not cut out to be a pro kitchen chef. Still, another great day with plenty of learning. I was definitely more tired at the end of the day than yesterday. That could be a cumulative effect or just that larder is a more pacey section than pastry.

    The vat of tonnato sauce I made after lunch service nearly finished me off. A very messy business involving tinned tuna, jarred anchovies (both in oil), egg yolks and vast quantities of rapeseed oil. I somewhat mis-understood the verbal instructions (nothing is written down) and the fact that this is an emulsion akin to mayonnaise. Therefore the oil should be gradually dripped into the egg and other ingredients not simply ‘biffed’ in altogether. Oops. Thankfully with some help I rescued it to a smooth salty sauce which looked not unlike one already in the fridge. Phew! Staff meal came immediately after and again I was ravenous having only tried a prosciutto croquette (deeply meaty in both flavour and texture) since yoghurt and granola at 8.30am, and nearly 8 hours on my feet.

    Highlights of the day were getting hands-on with the plating at lunch service and really feeling part of the team. It’s tricky when you feel like you’re asking questions constantly but I like learning by observing and copying, for which there is plenty of opportunity. I also helped plate up an elegantly simple platter of picked white crab, brown crab, aioli, and a lemon-dressed fennel and fennel leaf salad. One I might pinch for the future….along with the ricotta mix I prepped for the baby artichoke, broad bean, ricotta salad that became ‘my’ dish to plate. Ricotta is delightfully creamy but bland so needs lots of boosting in the flavour department. For three large tubs, I zested three fat lemons and added plenty of Malden sea salt and many, many cracks of black pepper.

    Low point of the day: washing a full harvest of five different types of lettuce in ice cold water. It took several minutes under the hot tap to revive my frozen fingers. One more day to go…

  • Stage at Toklas – Day One

    One of the great (and not so great) things about having children is that they provide very effective distraction. In the morning hubbub of multiple breakfast courses and packed lunch prep I didn’t have time to feel nervous about the start of my stage at Toklas. It wasn’t until I was standing in the kitchen, looking at the pastry section list of jobs that I had the sudden panicked thought: ‘Oh God, I can’t remember anything from my Leith’s training; how will I know what to do?’. Thankfully I was working alongside a Leith’s alumnus who was incredibly supportive and guided me each through each step.

    Alongside the 8.45am morning briefing were large hunks of toasted sourdough from the bakery and a huge pot of Nutella. I tucked in heartily having heard from a friend that lunch wouldn’t be until 4pm when family meal is served. Stray blobs of Nutella wiped from my face and fingers, I got started on my first job of the day: assembling nine tarte tatins for a private lunch. All the prep had been done so it was a satisfying process of pouring caramel, lining up partially cooked apples, tucking in the pastry disc and finally egg washing. Next up were nine beautiful glass bowls to be layered up with tiramisu. Vast quantities of loose meringue mixed with a sort of pate a bombe to make a sabayon style mousse. The sponge fingers dipped in espresso and Marsala, were layered with pillowy dollops of the sabayon on repeat. A final smoothing of the top with the back of a spoon in anticipation of fine shavings of dark chocolate before service.

    Lunch service briefing included the introduction of a new summer salad: soft lettuce leaves and chicory, mint, fennel leaf, topped with finely chopped raw shallot and tossed in the classic Toklas dressing. A quick mouthful to try before getting started on a batch of panna cotta before lunch service got busy. The milk and cream were infused with lashings of lemon peel and the seeds from several vanilla pods. Once lunch service began, I swapped on to larder section, helping to plate the artichoke, broad bean and ricotta salad. During I short reprieve, I whisked up a vat of Toklas salad dressing and the lemon, garlic dressing which is doused over the ever-popular carrot starter. I spotted the fried feta and honey going out and one of the chefs kindly made me my own portion as a quick snack lunch. The piping hot fried feta causes the honey to lose its viscosity, saucily coating the crisp crumb and cutting through the savoury, salty creaminess of the cheese. Exquisite! As pudding orders came in, I migrated back to pastry section and plated the orange ricotta cake and learnt how to create a quenelle with creme fraiche. In amongst plating, we continued making the panna cotta, mixing, cooling and carefully pouring into dariole moulds before chilling to set.

    Chocolate choux pastry was my final job of the day. And it was a thrill to learn that it doesn’t need to be made to the painstaking methods at Leith’s. Instead of an arm workout, the Kitchen Aid can be used. A revelation! Quick as a flash it was time for family meal and I realised I was ravenous. We’d achieved so much during the day that there was very little to do after that and those of us finishing at 5pm were rewarded with a slightly early finish and a bounty of left-over pastries from the bakery to take home. An insightful first day working in an environment previously alien to me. Being part of the buzz of service and seeing my own plates leave the pass was a joy. Excited already for tomorrow.

  • Leith’s Intermediate Term – Week 10

    The final week of Intermediate term before our exams! No tapering down for us; the week was as full, stretching and inspiring as every other this term.

    Monday started with a guest dem from Noble Rot Executive Chef, Adam Wood. This is a chef you would want to work for: focused on creating a positive environment in his kitchen; and teaching and nurturing new chefs, encouraging and inviting their creativity. He wowed us with two classic Noble Rot recipes: stuffed squid with chorizo sauce and roast chicken, morels and vin jaune. We googled vin jaune with our newly acquired wine knowledge interest and found that it is similar to a Fino sherry in that it is matured under a film of yeast but dissimilar in that it is not a fortified wine and is considerably more expensive at around £7,500 a bottle. Expensive seasoning! The chicken is such a comforting and elegant dish – like being wrapped up in an extremely expensive cashmere blanket. The quantity of cream and butter used left us agog, which is saying something given we have already been desensitised to the indulgent use of those ingredients from two terms at Leith’s. Our afternoon kitchen session was an opportunity to practice skills we had learnt during the term. I picked ruff puff pastry in my continued quest to be as proficient as my mum; and sweet soufflé in preparation for our intermediate practical exam.

    Blood orange granita kicked off Tuesday morning’s ice cream and sorbet dem. A refreshingly icy palate cleanser that focused our minds on our final teaching session of the term. Caz walked us through methods and theory for granitas, sorbets, and ice creams both stabiliser and custard-based. She showed us different churning methods, including the one we are most likely to come across in a professional kitchen: the eye-wateringly expensive and fiercely effective, Pacojet. We learnt about curing ice cream, of which I was previously unaware, but makes total sense. It’s the stage of leaving the cooled ice cream base in the fridge overnight to allow the flavours and textures to develop their full potential. A very necessary part of the teaching was to taste Caz’s pre-made examples of apricot sorbet, pineapple sorbet, mint choc ice cream and banana caramel and lime ice cream. The latter of which we were to make ourselves that afternoon. The kitchen session was a prep afternoon with a considerable list of tasks: prepare, sear and braise ox cheeks in an aromatic liquor flavoured with garlic, chilli, bay, star anise, stout and stock; make rough puff pastry pastry; prepare a chocolate truffle mix; and make the aforementioned custard-based ice cream. The session was long and the washing up considerable.

    Wednesday morning I chose to skip the session about being a yacht chef, given that I considered the chances of this being a future role for me are vanishingly small. Instead, I made revision notes for the theory exam, cooked a curry and took a weights class. In the afternoon we continued to braise our ox cheeks whilst using our pre-made puff pastry to create a tarte tatin to serve with the banana ice cream. Low, slow caramelisation of the apples is key to success, plus holding your nerve to ensure they achieve a deep colour. A quick tuck of the apples into their cold pastry blanket, into the oven and a patient 25-30 minute wait. Mine was the first to come out of the oven and for some reason a gathering of people had collected at my bench, making the flipping out of the tarte considerably more stressful than required. Thankfully, she was a beauty: golden layers of crisp pastry topped with deeply caramelised soft apples. The round of applause, whilst embarrassing, was appreciated. The rest of the session was spent tending to our ox cheek, shredding it and compacting it, and reducing the braising liquid to a syrupy glaze to coat the cheek. Sneaky slithers of tarte kept me going to the end of another long session.

    Thursday began with an inspiring and thought-provoking session with Chefs in Schools. Ensuring children are eating well and learning about, and how to cook, food is something about which I feel passionate. Chefs in Schools support existing catering teams to update their methods and menus to improve the quality of food served to children and encourage a more inquisitive and adventurous attitude about what we eat and where it comes from. I began our final kitchen session somewhat weary from a full week and packed term. Thankfully, the prep we had done during the week allowed the focus to be on assembly and elevated plating. We started by making a simple dough for our beef dripping flatbreads, before making a crumb, and prepping a parsley salad. We measured our bone marrow and cut a slice of ox cheek to fit neatly on top. The result was a deeply savoury and rich dish balanced by the freshness and piquancy of the parsley salad. Our final task was to shape and coat our chocolate truffles to present a pretty plate of petit fours. And that was it. Ten weeks done in the blink of an eye. A weekend of revision of fish filleting/souffle practice beckons.

  • Leith’s Intermediate Term – Week 9

    I woke up at 4am on Monday morning. My brain immediately kicked into gear and I started testing myself on grape growing regions and facts. Chardonnay – Burgundy; Sauvignon Blanc – Loire Valley; Pinot Noir – thin skinned and difficult to grow. Yes, the wine exam loomed large for later that day. Thankfully I had learned pretty much everything covered in the exam. The only thing I wasn’t sure of was the correct chilling temperate for dessert wine. Personally, I like to chill the balls off it but that isn’t necessarily what the WSET advises. To celebrate our hard work, three of us went for a delicious lunch at The Elder Press Cafe by the river in Hammersmith. A run in the sunshine, a few theory notes written and that was Monday done!

    Tuesday began with a meditative kitchen session making tortellini. We were told that the shape famously resembles the navel of Venus. An infatuated innkeeper apparently created it after spying on her in her room. Having made a golden dough, enriched with egg yolks; and a filling of ricotta, parmesan, lemon and nutmeg, we began the careful creation of the belly button pasta. Piping the filling into the centre of a pasta circle, folding it over, crimping to remove any air; creating a divot in the soft filling and then bringing together the two edges to sit atop each other and sealing with water. Stunning! Alongside the tortellini we also assembled and cooked a Madeira jus ahead of our venison assessment on Friday.

    In the afternoon, a small group of us went to the City Harvest depot to kick off our charity cook project. The depot is huge and houses an enormous amount of food (fresh and store cupboard) that would otherwise go to waste. The charity rescues surplus food from farms, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers and then delivers it to organisations who feed those facing food poverty. Our task was to each lead a small group of fellow students to produce 50 portions of food using the ingredients available in the depot that afternoon. There were vast quantities of root veg, onions and porridge oats, together with cauliflowers and cabbages as big as your head. Our collective creative juices began to flow. The root veg and oats combo gave me the idea of a savoury crumble. I then stumbled upon a pallet of ‘smoky flavoured sprinkles’ which became the genius flavour bomb addition to the crumble topping. I also grabbed a stack of tinned tomatoes and a dozen red pepper and ricotta pesto jars. We loaded up the palettes of our selected goodies and headed back to school to await the delivery. In the meantime, we prepared a high level plan for the following day’s cook to ensure we had priorities and a sequence to lead our team members.

    We arrived the following morning to a palpably different vibe in the kitchens: classic 90s tunes blasting from a speaker, a highly relaxed atmosphere and copious quantities of veg and fruit piled high. We got organised and awaited the assignment of our team members. My team grew from 3 to 7 as we endeavoured to wade through the task of peeling and chopping seven crates of onions, carrots, parsnips and celeriac. It took two hours to achieve and then into the oven they all went to roast along with some fresh herbs I had picked from my garden. The next job was the sauce in which the veg would nestle. We emptied the contents of the tins of tomatoes and jars of pesto into two big double-handed saucepans. We let it come up to a simmer before adding several handfuls of nutritious red lentils. It bubbled away becoming rich and concentrated whilst we escaped for a quick lunch. Finally we prepared the crumble topping of oats, flour, butter and, of course, the smoky flavoured sprinkles. The vast veg took some time to cook but finally we were ready to assemble the three component parts. We realised quite quickly that the veg and crumble were in greater supply than the sauce so we ended up making 50 portions of savoury crumble and 31 portions of root veg gratin. Altogether as a group, we made over 350 portions of food that day. A huge and heartwarming achievement. We were pooped and proud! A well-earned day off on Thursday which I used to complete and submit the Confederation of Hospitality & Tourism coursework on nutrition and sustainability for the upcoming deadline.

    Nerves were in abundance on Friday morning. Our fourth and final ‘continuous’ practical assessment. A venison steak cooked rare, pommes Anna, spring greens cooked to chef’s choice and a Madeira jus with plenty of flavour, shine and clarity required. I started with the pommes Anna – melting the clarified butter and tackling the death trap that is the mandolin to slice the potatoes. Lots of seasoning and nutmeg and then layering the coated slices neatly in a small frying pan. The melted butter sets up really quickly so it had solidified before I’d even got going. I smeared it round the edge of the pan in an effort to ensure a clean exit from the pan later. The Madeira jus tasted ok but needed reducing to intensify the flavour plus some butter, lemon juice, salt and double cream to achieve a balanced finish. First time cooking venison and it seemed straightforward: temper, sear on all sides for a few minutes, baste in butter and thyme, and rest for at least 8 minutes. Venison is the only meat we have cooked to rare rather than medium rare so lengthy tempering and resting were even more important than ever. The pommes Anna nearly skidded off the plate as I inverted the pan. Thankfully no real crisis and more importantly the top was beautifully golden with caramelisation.

    Just one week to go of the Intermediate curriculum before our theory exam and final practical assessment. My thoughts are wondering to the possibility of an advanced patisserie course in an effort to remain in a learning environment where I can continue to extend my skills and challenge myself. Or maybe I am just procrastinating the inevitable moment when I have to make a decision about what I am going to do with myself once I have finished at Leith’s. Watch this space!

  • Leith’s Intermediate Term – Week 8

    Week 8 was a total crowd-pleaser: doughnuts, creme diplomat, jam, puff pastry and sausage rolls. We also had our last three wine lessons before our level 2 exam.

    The week began with our third formal assessment of the term. This time we had to fillet a whole sea bream, ensuring the skin wasn’t damaged, to produce two neat fillets. To check our work, we were required to show our filleted frame (the bones) to our assessor to demonstrate we had not left excess flesh behind. The recipe also called for our first cook of clams. After cleaning and checking for damage, we briefly steamed them before removing the meat from the shell and chilling in the fridge until needed. The fish and clams were to be served in a ‘fish cream’, which is a lot tastier than it sounds. A quickly made sauce flavoured with onion, celery, fish stock and vermouth, and finished with a generous pouring of double cream. A vibrantly green dill oil cut through the richness and provides additional colour and flavour to the plate. The last element to prepare was samphire – cooked and drained carefully to still have some bite and not leave a green watery puddle on the plate. The fish cook was key: soft flaking flesh and a golden crisp skin. I await the results!

    Wednesday morning was a relaxed prep session. We started making a very sticky doughnut dough. Another different kneading technique required to strengthen the gluten strands – this time a sort of pecking and picking action until you can stretch the dough up to your armpit without it breaking. Next the incorporation of cold but pliable butter, cube by cube. Each cube is pawed down into a paste and then paddled with the fingers into the dough ensuring no lumps. A good arm work-out! The dough was scooped into an oiled Tupperware to prove slowly overnight. Our next task was to begin the rough puff pastry, completing the required number of rolls and folds which would give us the lamination associated with puff. Rough puff was a new experience for most of us so we had lots of help from the teachers to get it right. In amongst these two jobs, we also made a super-sweet and delicious raspberry and lemon thyme jam. Both my partner, Dev, and I attempted to sabotage our jam in different ways but we managed to rescue it ready to fill our doughnuts the following day.

    Our third all day cook of the term was considerably less fraught than the previous two. An eclectic menu for the day included braised and chargrilled octopus in paprika sauce with saffron and lemon aioli. We were all a bit excitable about the octopus, which were enormous and evocative of deep sea thrillers. We blanched it, removed the head and then braised the trimmed legs. It’s a long, slow braise to tenderise the flesh ahead of a chargrill to impart smoky, toasty flavours. Whilst it was braising we shaped our doughnut dough into balls and left to prove; made a flavoured creme pat of our choice (I picked cardamom, the pods of which I infused into the milk); and finally we rolled out our rough puff, prepared and seasoned our sausage filling and created two filled and glazed logs ready to chill overnight. The frying and filling (and eating) of the doughnuts was very fun. The vibe in the kitchen was triumphant as we achieved the perfect golden brown fry plus the white equator – proof of a good prove! Heavily dusted in caster sugar and filled with jam and/or crème diplomat, we were all welcomed home with open arms that evening.

    Our final cook of the week was super simple but highly satisfying. A second egg glaze of our sausage rolls and into a hot oven. Lots of lovely lamination and a side of piquant sweet beer pickles to cut through the savoury flavour and fat.

    Italian wines, revision and a pub style quiz fulfilled our final sessions with Marjorie as we bid her au revoir and promised we would do her proud in the exam.

    In amongst preparing for the wine exam, my brother and I took a day trip to Amsterdam on Saturday for lunch at the incredible desilveren Spiegel. A calming and historic setting, elegant, understated service and beautiful food. The photos speak for themselves.

  • Leith’s Intermediate Term – Week 7

    We are now more than half way through the intermediate term and also the diploma as a whole. The pace and breadth of learning sees each week race by before we’re prepping for the following week’s challenges. I want it all to slow down so the end feels further away! Without doubt, this will go down as one of the best year’s of my life.

    Our first kitchen session of the week would have been fairly relaxed had it not been for the apprehension for a tap on the shoulder and the request for a short order. What that would involve was not revealed until we walked into the kitchen: Hollandaise sauce (sabayon method / by hand) with a poached egg. I’d anticipated Hollandaise but it was the humble egg I really feared: achieving that classic teardrop shape, perfect runny yolk and set white. We were allowed to begin our other tasks first: browning chicken wings and veg as the starting point for a Madeira jus which would putter away for most of the session; and pulling together the ingredients for the sweet beer pickles which we’d be serving with sausage rolls next week. When the shoulder tap came, we had 15 just minutes to serve. I was a little late but the Hollandaise had a light, airy consistency and good balance of acidity; and when my teacher cut into the egg, beautiful deep yellow yolk oozed over the plate. Job done! In the afternoon, we had an enjoyable stroll through Champagne and sparkling wine techniques with Majorie ahead of the trip to Chapel Down the following day.

    The trip did not start well. We were an hour delayed and somewhat on tenterhooks following a minor bit of road rage. But soon enough we were out of the city and into the rolling countryside of Kent. We were pushed for time but still managed a tour of the vineyard and a tasting session of six wines. By the time we had lunch it was 2.45pm and we were all somewhat giddy. A few of us opted out of the coach return trip, preferring the idea of the high speed train from Ashford International, accompanied by a cuppa and a four-finger Kit Kat 🙂

    Wednesday and Thursday posed a new challenge. We would each take the role of lead chef and commis chef in turn to cook in pairs five identical plates of food. Duck breast and Madeira jus were required, the rest was chef’s choice. I took on the commis role first supporting lead chef, Mary Morgan. Her plate included a parsnip puree (sweet, smooth and delicious), pickled blackberries (cutting through the fatty duck perfectly), and green beans with pine nut, lemon and parmesan gremolata. It was great fun working as a team and helpful to have experienced it before taking on the lead role myself. I was nervous watching the commis come into the kitchen awaiting who would be assigned to me. Happily Rohan approached my bench with a big grin. Calm and capable, I knew the session would go well with him as my commis. I quickly talked him through my vision for the dish and we got to work. Me scoring the duck fat ready to be tempered and rendered; and Rohan picking up the accompaniments. Everything came together well and we served exactly on time: duck, Maderia jus, green beans tossed in butter and nutmeg, caramelised shallot, pan-fried Braeburn apple, and a sage and hazelnut crumb. A pretty plate of food that tasted as good as it looked!

    The final test of the week came on Friday. Our second formal assessment of the term: make pasta by machine and shape into garganelli; prepare a well-balanced sausage and fennel ragu and serve it all hot within the service window. Making the pasta was fine but individually rolling the garganelli was very time-consuming. I worried my pasta was over-cooked (it only needed 2 mins max) and my ragu not softened sufficiently by the cream. But when I ate a portion for lunch I had to admit it was tasty so hopefully the assessor thought so too!

    Our teaching sessions this week were varied and delicious. First was Andy Oliver from Som Saa, who cooked up an array of lip-smacking Thai food. His knowledge of Thai cuisine, having spent a considerable amount of time in the country, was extensive and fascinating. Megan Coker, ex-Leith’s student and latterly teacher, is now working as a head chef at Dinner Ladies, an events caterer. A hugely talented chef who imparted a wealth of useful information about catering and prepared us a three course meal plus three canapés in under two hours. My favourites were the Lavosh cracker, miso mayo, kimchi and fried basil canapé and the seared sumac and peppercorn tuna starter. And obviously I couldn’t resist a second mouthful of the caramelised brown sugar custard tart!

    Rough puff was the teaching demo, which attempted to show us it’s not as difficult as we might have thought. My mum made rough puff effortlessly every weekend as the base for her famous Russian fish pie; and sausage rolls (frequently) on request for family gatherings and the grandchildren’s birthdays. I never managed to master it under her tutelage. Hopefully I can make her proud as she looks down from above. To motivate us, we were treated to freshly baked sausage rolls with a chilli ketchup (hello home-made Christmas gift) and a tarte tatin with Calvados cream. A few hours to digest those treats, and then an evening session with the owners of Honey & co. What a great husband and wife double-act. Very witty and of course, incredibly talented. We feasted on freshly cooked falafel and tahini sauce, muhmara with freshly baked flat bread, fatoush, and their signature knafe pudding.

    A decadent and indulgent week for sure. Swimming and running on the agenda for the weekend…along with wine revision for our upcoming level 2 exam. Next week, another formal assessment, our third all day cook and thankfully a day of for some home study.

  • Leith’s intermediate term – week 6

    Week 6 was short and sweet (and crisp). Just two days in school and three off for half term break.

    The sweet element came from the delectable pastry wheel, the Paris-Brest. We started on Thursday by making the crème pat base for the mousseline filling and the craquelin to top the choux pastry for a crisp bite. Once completed, we got stuck into our first experience with squid. A competition ensued over the gutting to see whose squid contained the most interesting specimen. Half digested fishes were the most popular contenders. Once cleaned, we sliced and dried the squid ready for deep fat frying. To accompany the crispy cephalopod, we made a vibrant ginger, chilli and coriander salsa. My previous home attempts at crispy squid have not been that successful. But here we used a gluten free flour and a very small amount of sparkling water to make a batter the consistency of Greek yoghurt which worked perfectly. It was difficult not to polish off the entire plate whilst standing in the kitchen.

    Finishing the Paris Brest on Friday was a lovely meditative session. Making, piping and baking the choux and topping with tiny overlapping circles of thinly rolled craquelin. Making mousseline by whipping a considerable quantity of soft butter into our crème pat and flavouring it with praline paste. Melting sugar to create caramel and combining it quickly once dark amber with toasted hazelnuts to make praline. And finally the majestic assembly. The choux delicately sliced in half and filled with fluted columns of rich mousseline. The praline roughly sliced into tiny shards to add texture and interest to each bite. And an elegant fine dusting of icing sugar to make it picture perfect.

    Sauces and pasta were the focus of our teaching sessions. In sauces I finally understood what is happening on Masterchef when they are browning and cooking bones in stock which somehow transforms into a glossy sauce. The ‘jus’ is essentially a double stock. One relatively quickly made stock which is enriched with alcohol and a previously made longer cooked stock, resulting in a sauce that is packed with flavour and a syrupy coating consistency. Ours would be started on Monday to be served with duck later in the week. We were taught the three C’s of jus: concentration, clarity and consistency; and the love and attention required in the making of the jus to achieve them. The second sauce was a smooth buttery veloute served with poached brill and a leek croquette – one to be repeated!

    Pasta dem was predominantly revision of skills from foundation but we also had a go at shaping into garganelli and tortellini. Grace also ran us through the sausage and fennel ragu we will make to coat the garganelli for our next assessment; plus a delicious lemon and ricotta filling for the tortellini.

    Panic struck at the end of the week with the realisation of quite how much there is to do in terms of coursework, assessments and revision during the second half term. Definitely a need for head down revising wine this weekend ahead of our level 2 exam in two weeks’ time.

  • Leith’s Intermediate Term – Week 5

    Each week I continue to be impressed by the breadth of the curriculum and the high standard of teaching at Leith’s. This week we got to grips with whole pig butchery, learnt about pickles, fermentation and plant-based cooking, came face-to-face with an octopus (which we then ate), and were given an insight of a charity project we’ll be taking part in with City Harvest.

    By far the most challenging day of the week was Wednesday, which marked our second all day cook of the term. The pace did not let up from 9.25am – 4.45pm. Our multi-tasking and remaining calm under pressure skills were tested to the full. We started the day making a very sticky soft dough for our spiced raisin and pecan buns. The dough is so sticky that initially a slapping technique is required to develop the gluten and encourage the dough to come together into something smooth and useable. Next on the list was careful lining of four delicate fluted tart cases. We had done the easy bit of making the pastry the previous day. Every time we do pastry we’re given less time to do the same tasks in an effort to improve our efficiency and seemingly increase our stress! Tart cases lined and chilling, we continued to the next tasks of making honeycomb and preparing an apple gel to be served with pork tenderloin. Simultaneously whilst keeping an eye on the colour of our caramel and reducing apple juice and cider, we grated large quantities of celeriac and parsnip for rosti. The teachers were circulating the kitchen keeping us focused, offering advice and ensuring we didn’t loose momentum. Our lunch break was scheduled for 1.15pm and there were a considerable number of tasks that needed to be completed before that, including getting on top of the increasingly large washing up pile. We managed to get our tarts in to blind bake, make the filling for our buns, fill and shape the buns, and clear down somewhat before we were made to take a break for half an hour.

    Back from lunch and we were required to commit to a service time for our pork dish and chocolate tarts. The kitchen took on a chaotic air. We were smiling, panicking and desperately trying to juggle plates and pans to keep us on track for service. The washing up sunk to the bottom of the priority list and we were forced to use random utensils and cutlery inappropriate to the tasks at hand. Pan fry rosti, bake rosti, slow cook chocolate tarts, blend and set the apple gel, prep pork, cook pork to medium rare and pink, make Marsala sauce, deep fry sage, bake buns, make a sugar syrup to vaseline stage to glaze…the list went on! Finally I called service – all elements done. Marsala sauce nailed; pork pink, juicy and prettily plated with elegant ‘blobs’ of apple gel; chocolate tarts silkily set with honeycomb which tasted like a Crunchie; spiced buns soft and bursting with pecans and plump raisins. So good to have finished and have such a bounty to take home to the family.

    The other two kitchen sessions of the week were considerably more relaxed. Tuesday we made our pate sucree and chocolate tart mix ready for Wednesday and then tried our hand at charring and roasting a January King cabbage. We basted it in miso butter and served it with a spicy, sweet salty dressing, sesame seeds and seaweed powder. Unexpectedly delicious. Friday was a skills practice session where we picked a few skills we wanted to perfect. I had another go at filleting a round fish. Navigating the rib cage is tricky; it is all too easy to tear through the skin. I also rehearsed prepping and cooking a duck breast, and separately made pasta, ahead of upcoming assessments.

    In exchange for our all day cook, we were treated to an all day dem. On entering the teaching room, we were met with an entire half pig, head included. The other half of the head was already in the oven roasting for our delectation. The session was led by the very experienced and highly engaging Steve Lamb. Steven is an expert in curing and smoking and has been a key part of the success of Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s River Cottage. Steven encouraged us to be mindful when sourcing pig and pork products, taking us through the hard to hear differences in treatment between higher and lower welfare animals. With the help of some brave students, Steven took apart the pig and helped us understand the different parts and how they could be cooked to get maximum value and flavour. The session was peppered with delicious treats evidencing his teaching: chorizo scotch eggs; faggots (nothing like what I was given in a Birmingham hall of residence 25 years ago!); roasted pig’s head; brined pork tenderloin with salsa verde and pork sausages wrapped in pork! We left brimming with ideas and tastebuds tickled.

    Difficult to believe how we packed it all in, but there is still more to recount from the week! The introduction to pickles and fermenting was enlightening and somewhat mind-boggling. Particularly coming face to face with a SCOBY for the first time. I’m a big fan of pickles but I wasn’t totally sold on kimchi or kombucha. The final session of the week was fish and shellfish – much more up my street. A whole octopus was cooked, chargrilled and plated in three different ways with aioli and paprika dressing; a delicate sea bass dish (which we’ll be assessed on later) was served with clams, samphire and a dill split sauce. And the final show-stopping crowd-pleaser to round off an awesome week: salt and pepper squid with a chilli and ginger relish. Half term now and time for a well-earned break for teachers and students alike!