Term one at Chefs Academy complete!

Ashburton Chefs Academy - Part 1

I am now a third of the way through my time at Ashburton Chefs Academy, so I thought I would let you know how I'm getting on - and what delights you could be tasting at Supper Club in the summer!

I'm having a fabulous time here in Devon. The first term was all about mastering the key skills required by a top chef.  I'm now a dab hand at filleting fish, butchering chickens and making soups, stocks and jus.  I'm also really enjoying the pastry side of things - the highlights were making our own croissants and Danish pastries. Anyone interested in coming to a Supper Club brunch?



The school is also very keen on food provenance, one of the reasons I chose this particular course, and we have already been on several school outings (not in crocodile formation, I hasten to add).  Our first trip was to a small local farm that supplies poultry to the school, surrounding restaurants and the general public, and takes animal welfare very seriously.  Here is a photo of me with a two-day old duckling - it will be ready for slaughter in an unbelievable 8 weeks' time - who knew ducks grew so fast!



We have also been to a local butcher, who showed us how they divide up a hindquarter and forequarter of beef.  After a tip from one of our chef tutors on this trip, I am now glued to the River Cottage Meat Book, which has only reinforced my desire to buy good quality, free range meat where the animal has been treated kindly, and to use butchers who know all about the farms their meat comes from.

The last week of term was five days of practical exams, involving anything from preparing and cooking seafood to baking and presenting little French orange tarts.  You will be pleased to hear I passed all my exams, with distinctions in pastry and fish. Yippee!



I have just returned to school for the second term from a week's holiday.  You would think I might have wanted a break from cooking, but it's just encouraged me to try more things!  So instead of putting my feet up, I've been working on my written assignments, making salmon gravadlax, ginger marshmallows and oxtail stew.



Now we've mastered the core chef skills, I suspect things are about to get significantly more challenging this term.  I'm not sure yet what the tutors have in store for us, but this week's highlight will be a trip to Brixham fish market.  It will be fascinating to see the market in action, although I'm not so keen on the 4.30am wakeup call!

If you want to see more of the food I've been cooking, please take a look at my facebook page, or follow me on Twitter for the latest pics.

Supper club will be back in early summer, held monthly, and I can't wait to show off some of my new culinary skills.  The plan is also to open a catering company from June onwards, so if you have any special celebrations coming up, and just can't face doing the cooking, why not let me do the hard work, cooking up something wonderful in your own kitchen while you relax and ejoy spending time with your guests.

Best wishes,
Clare

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to you all, and I wish you an excellent 2014. Mine is looking good so far. As I mentioned in a previous newsletter, I am now in Devon for the next five months, training at the Ashburton Chefs Academy & Cookery School. Unfortunately, that means that Supper Club is on hold for a few months, but I will be back in July – hopefully impressing you with my amazing new skills!

The Ashburton Chef's Academy is very well regarded, and previous students have gone onto work in Michelin star restaurants around the country, so you should be expecting high things of me! The school also places strong emphasis on food provenance – knowing where your food has come from, how it was grown, respecting the seasons – so the course includes day trips to a chicken farmer, butcher and Brixham fish markets among other things. I'm only on day two, studying food hygiene and I can't wait to get started in the kitchen next week, learning all there is to know about cooking.

The last Supper Club of 2013

This was held in November, with a record number of guests, both newcomers and faithful regulars. I also received an excellent and unusual gift – freshly laid eggs from a guest's farm! We all had a fantastic evening, so great I forgot to take any pictures on the night! However, I did take these in advance...


Preparing mini meringues for petit-fours


Scumptious poached pears

To keep me occupied before starting the great culinary adventure, I've also been making batches of Strawberry & Pimms jam (the secret is to soak the fruit beforehand, so I've been told) and Whisky Marmalade – I think people rather like this as a Christmas present.

 

Future Plans

I'm keeping an open mind about the future, who knows what the chef course will bring, but my current plan is to continue the Supper Clubs when I return in June, and also open a small catering business. There's a free dinner going for anyone who comes up with a new name for my business! I have already done a few private dinner parties, as a result of Supper Club, and hope to extend this side of things further. I was asked to cater for a group at Christmas, and this was the dessert..


Caramelised clementine & pomegranate pavlova

I will keep you all posted about the course, my future plans, and when the next Supper Club will be.

Best wishes,
Clare

November's Menu

Hi there, I have now put together a menu for November 16th, hope you like it!

There is a choice as I know there are some vegetarians coming, so please just let me know which main course you would like.

Please email me at malvernsupperclub@gmail.com to reserve your place. We're already half-full!  The evening costs £25, and includes a complementary drink and nibbles, and a three-course meal followed by coffee and petit fours.

• Onion, apple and gruyere tart with homemade walnut bread
• Coriander-crusted lamb OR Puy lentil galettes
  with roast beetroot, creamy cabbage, fondant potato and a red wine jus
• Poached pear in a spicy caramel sauce with lemon biscotti 

A change of scene and November Supper Club

I'm sorry it seems like ages since I last posted, but lots of things have been bubbling away in the background, I promise.

Last supper club of 2013 and a new career

The most exciting news is that I'm giving up the day job, to start concentrating on food full time!  I am hosting one more supper club this year on Saturday 16th November, and then in January I am off to Devon for five months for intensive chef training at Ashburton Cookery School.  Over the years, I have dipped my toe in the food industry, whether it be running the supper club or hosting a ski chalet, but it's time to take the plunge!  I can't wait to start the course, and spend my days cooking all sorts of wonderful food, chatting to other people who are also obsessed with food, and hopefully graduating as a fabulous chef.

My plans, once I finish the course, are a bit hazy at the moment, but I will most definitely carry on with the supper club when I'm back in June, and eventually I hope to run my own food business.

So, if you keep wondering whether to visit my supper club, now is your last chance for a while!  As usual, the cost is £25, and this includes a complementary drink and nibbles, a three-course meal, plus coffee and home made truffles.  I will be posting a menu next Monday, in which I promise to delight both veggies and carnivores.  However, if you like the idea of a mystery menu, I am offering supper club places for £20 this week only. Please email or phone to reserve your place.

Private Parties

For the last couple of months, I have been hosting private supper clubs for people who have been celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, family get-togethers, etc..  See below for a few of the things they ate.  If you fancy a Christmas party with a difference, please get in touch.  I can cater for up to 14 people in my home, or alternatively, I'm happy to come to yours, cook for you and leave your kitchen spic and span, so you can relax and enjoy the dinner party.


Ham hock and apricot terrine with homemade courgette chutney


Lemon and elderflower tart with strawberry sorbet


Duo of chocolate with raspberry puree

Look forward to seeing you on November 16th!

August Supper Club

I am pleased to announce that the next supper club is on Saturday 10th August at 7.30pm. I am co-hosting with awesome Andy (a.k.a. the Pork Peddler), so you may notice a strong hint of pig in the menu...

Hope you like the menu as much as we do!  The marvellous hot weather we've been having has inspired us to create a rather American southern-style menu

• Salmon ceviche with mango salsa
• 12-hour smoked BBQ pulled pork with sweet potato wedges, BBQ bacon beans, green apple & chilli slaw and cornbread
• Mississippi Mud Pie

As always, you will start the evening with canapés and a complimentary drink, and a chance to meet the other guests.  You will then sit down for a lovely three-course meal, followed by coffee and petit fours.  An evening of food and fun, all for £25.

Please email me (Clare) at malvernsupperclub@gmail.com to reserve your place. 

A day in the life of a professional chef...

Knowing how much I like food and cooking, my friend suggested I spend the day in the kitchen at The Fleet at Twyning, where her boyfriend just happens to be head chef.  Having never worked in a proper restaurant kitchen, it seemed ridiculous not to accept the offer, and find out what is involved in being a professional chef.

I felt a little nervous beforehand.  Were the chefs going to shout at me?  Should I practise my best "Yes chef!"?  Maybe I should add a salute, and a little click of the heels?  As it turned out, they were all very friendly and easy going.

I turned up at 10.30am (probably hours after everyone else started...) ready to help them prepare for lunch.  As it happened, a wedding reception was booked for the afternoon, so I was set to work making lots of Mushroom Wellingtons for the veggie guests.



Mushroom Wellington



I also chopped HUGE amounts of veg for the wedding.  First time I've ever chopped 6 cucumbers in a row (in case you are interested, that fills a large 4 litre ice-cream tub!).  Catering for large numbers is all about the preparation.  Everything is prepared the evening before or in the morning, so that once the customer orders come in, you are as ready as humanly possible to get that starter, main or dessert out quickly.

As well as offering a full à la Carte menu, The Fleet do a fine line in sandwiches and burgers.  My next task was to make all the burgers for the following day.  I also helped plate up the sandwiches and chips.  I'm not usually a fan of chips (I know, I'm a little bit weird), but I have to say that these ones are excellent.  All chefs tend to use their (immaculately clean) hands a lot, so I quickly realised that I need to develop asbestos fingers for such things as delicately arranging chips, if I'm ever going to succeed in a professional kitchen. Ow! The other thing I noticed is that there was a distinct lack of wooden spoons!  I could not survive without my spoons when preparing for supper club, but the boys in the pub give the pans an expert shake and rattle, and magically everything is mixed.  I crept off to find some spoons, knowing that my attempts to shake the pan would end up with most of the contents on the floor...

Last time I ate there (as a guest), I ordered pan fried seabass with a crayfish butter sauce, which was absolutely delicious.  So I wanted to see how they did it...  Best things were the new potatoes - pre-cooked in a saffron stock, then sliced in half before frying in a hot pan to get a lovely crispy bottom.  All fairly simple stuff, but this dish tastes amazing!

Seabass and scallops with a crayfish butter sauce

In the afternoon, I made the fatal mistake of saying I knew how to make risotto.  So that was me - now in sole charge of making the risotto for the evening menu.  I got into proper chef mode - making an onion veloute on one hob, risotto on another, and doing a sea bass order, all at the same tim. Thankfully, everything turned out well!

At 4.30pm, it was all hands on deck to get forty starters out for the wedding breakfast.  One of the starters was this lovely chicken and ham hock terrine, served with plum chutney.  It's not something I've ever made myself, but now I feel inspired to give it a whirl.
 



The wedding puddings were fantastic - if I was a wedding guest, I would be very hard pushed to choose which one to order - but the chocolate and orange brownie is one of the best I've ever tasted.  Sorry - no pictures of that one - went far too quickly!  I can only offer you a photo of the lovely Bailey's cheesecake that I plated up, practising my cheffy swirls and smears.

Baileys Cheescake (with cheffy smear)



Finally, the chefs work very long hours, but after the lunch rush they do find some time for a bite to eat. Could this be the biggest sandwich ever! Well, I think they deserve it.



The world's biggest meat sandwich



Malvern Pop Up!

Exciting news, the next event is going to be something a little bit different...!

With the help of the Red Hen Cookery School, I will be hosting a pop-up supper club at their superb cookery school in Worcester on Saturday 11th May.

As well as cooking you all a wonderful three-course meal, I will also be doing a short dessert demonstration for you while you enjoy a welcome glass of bubbly and canapes.  You will also have the chance to mingle with the other guests, before sitting down together for some delicious food.  All this for the bargainous price of £25.

MENU:

• French Onion Soup with Gruyère Croutons
• Spiced Slow-Roast Lamb or Moroccan Vegetable Tagine served with Herby Lime Couscous and Chargrilled Vegetables
• Chocolate Brandy Torte with Raspberry Purée
• Coffee and Petit Fours

For more information, please contact me or Naz at Red Hen.  You can book your place through their website.

Look forward to seeing you soon!