FOOD : Asian Cookery Class at Cook School Scotland

Scotland’s leading cook school is welcoming budding chefs once again, following the relaunch of its  popular cooking classes with a retro-inspired menu of culinary classics.

Following an 18-month hiatus due to coronavirus restrictions, The Cook School Scotland, in Kilmarnock, opened its doors once again and celebrated with a ‘Back To The Future’ Demo and Dine evening sessions.

COOK SCHOOL SCOTLAND REOPENS

More than 25 different classes are ready to book now, with Head Chef Stuart Leslie and his expert team on hand to guide guests through the creation of new dishes.

Full and half day classes are available, catering for every taste – from sessions on seafood to brushing up on home baking, all in a relaxed, fun and friendly environment.

With the trend of nostalgic flavours and classic dishes making a comeback after a resurgence during the pandemic, Stuart and his team will be taking a step back in time this autumn with ‘Retro’ and ‘School Dinner’ themed Demo & Dine Sessions planned for October and November, showcasing old-school favourites including artic roll and chicken kiev.

The Cook School Scotland’s reinstatement of in-person classes follows the launch of ‘Cook School @ Home’ in July 2020, helping people across Scotland cook up a storm in their own kitchens.

I went along prior to their reopening to try out their ‘Cooking Asian’ class and had an absolute hoot. Chef Stuart is an excellent tutor, taking you through a step by step process at the front of the classroom around the main work station; after each step in the cooking process, you return to your own station to complete the task.

Chef and his staff are on hand to help out with any questions and to continue to guide you through your cooking; as well as removing all you dishes for washing and providing your ingredients along the way.

The class is so easy to follow and best of all you leave feeling like a MasterChef!

The first dish we made was sushi using red peppers, cucumber and flaked smoked salmon for the filling. Chef Stuart will demonstrate knife skills, how to cook sushi rice to the correct consistency, and how to fill and roll your sushi. An absolute joy to make and most of all eat.

The second dish we cooked was a Chicken and Prawn Donburri - a true favourite of mine and I’m so delighted to know how to cook this at home now.

More great skills you’ll take away from this is the cleaning and deveining of prawns, and how to properly julienne carrots (I always cut mine too thick).

I was proud of my dish and loved how this recipe can be adapted to any protein and spice heat; as long as you got the basics right.

I’d like to say I’m fairly decent in the kitchen and can whip up a decent meal or two, but this class gave me the confidence to definitely try these dishes again at home.

Classes are now available to book, with prices starting at £50 for a half day class. There is also an offer on at the moment - 2 people, full day class for £150.

For more information, and to book a Cook School Scotland class, please visit: https://cookschool.org