The Belle Isle School of Cookery

News

Irish Echo – Margaret Johnson – St Patrick’s Day 2005

BELLE ISLE

Speaking of food, one of the newest and brightest lights on the Northern scene is Belle Isle School of Cookery, located on the estate of the same name in Lisbellaw, Co. Fermanagh, at the northern tip of Upper Lough Erne. Inhabited since the 11th century, the 470-acre estate consists of a magnificent country castle that can be rented for up to 14 people, three separate self-catering cottages (perfect for the sportsmen who frequent the area), recently refurbished courtyard self-catering apartments, and since November 2003, a purpose-built state-of-the-art cookery school.

Chef Liz Moore, who provides simple, flexible, and practical instruction for the weekend chef or potential gourmet cook, heads the first of its kind cookery school in Northern Ireland. Moore is considered to be one of the new generations of young chefs who concentrate on Irish food with a lighter and more modern twist. She honed her cooking skills during many years of cooking in Europe, and thus offers a wide range of courses lasting from one day to four weeks. Each is designed for any level of cooking ability.

We enrolled in a weekend course focusing on game cookery, but other courses include outdoor entertaining; dinner party favorites; brilliant breakfasts; breads, cakes, and biscuits; cooking with wine; and chocolate heaven. Enrolled with us were three affable gals from Scotland who do a "foodie" thing annually, and a London bachelor hoping to improve his dating potential though cooking. We had great fun with the preparation of each meal and even more fun sharing it with wines -- lots of it -- paired with each dish.

Students enrolled in the classes are housed in the courtyard apartments, some of which are large enough to accommodate six adults. The facilities can also be rented for weekend getaways, fishing and shooting forays, although if Liz Moore has anything to say about, Fermanagh will be the next great destination for food lovers.