Italian cooking relies on the abundance of home grown ingredients that the country has to offer and Spring is no exception. Join us for this seasonal hands on cooking class of Italian dishes with Valentina Harris who is a much loved and noted authority on Italian Food and has written over 20 books on Italian cookery. She will teach you the skills and provide you with the knowledge to get the most from these intensely flavoursome ingredients.
You will be cooking a traditional Italian feast, starting with antipasto followed by the primi course which usually doesn’t have any meat. Today with Valentina you will be making a crostini of broad bean purée and Pecorino, followed by a ricotta and mint mini frittata. Your primo will be a green Spring vegetable lasagne with Scamorza. The secondi is the next dish which is usually meat based and today will be Abruzzese style lamb which is the signature meat of the region. To go with the secondi will be the contorni dishes, served alongside secondi dishes. These are vegetable-based dishes often served on a different plate than the meat of the secondi, so as to not mix on the plate and allow for the preservation and integrity of flavours. Today you will be making lemon roast new potatoes and sautéed spinach. Of course no Italian feast would be complete without the dolce and today you will be making choux buns filled with zabaglione and a blood orange salad to round off a truly memorable day of cooking with Valentina.
The day will start at 10am and finish around 3.30pm and includes lunch with wine.
‘The best way to get to know any country or place is through your taste buds.‘ Valentina Harris
“Valentina’s course was simply terrific. She really is a first-rate tutor. It moved at just the right pace, the dishes were varied and tasty and consequently there was much to learn. The meal was most enjoyable. Excellent all round.” Mr P.
