News
Irish cooking lessons are no longer potluck
ANITA DRAYCOTT
SPECIAL TO THE STAR
ENNISKILLEN, IRELAND—When it comes to a national cuisine, Ireland
acquired the reputation as a nation awash in greasy pub grub, boring
boiled cabbage and spuds.
Modern Irish cooking has turned that cultural cliché on its ear
by highlighting Celtic skill in creating simple, delicious meals with
local, fresh produce from game to seasonings.
Better yet, they're willing to share their lessons on the art of eating
well.
That's why I enrolled in a three-day course called Winter Wonders at
the legendary Belle Isle School of Cookery in this charming Northern
Ireland town.
Under the guidance of our affable instructor Liz Moore, I and nine other
students were taught everything from how to sharpen knives to prepare
delicious, hearty dishes using Moore's recipe for success: local, simple
and fresh food.
Moore is a natural teacher and entertainer. While she's on a mission
to get people off "rubbish," she also believes that cooking
should be fun.
She pours batter into a smoking hot pan and starts cavorting like a
disco dancer while swirling the pan to create an ultra-thin crepe. Next
thing I know my partner Alison and I are gyrating and giggling as we
attempt to produce a stack of paper-thin pancakes.
"It's amazing how many people watch Food TV with frozen dinners
on their laps," she scoffs. "You must be aware of what you're
eating."
Case in point is the free-range chicken bought from a local organic
farmer that we are about to debone. It's not some fowl "injected
with horrible chemicals and water."
The Cookery School accommodates a maximum of 10 students who work in
pairs at cleverly designed workstations when they're not gathered around
a central counter for Moore's demonstrations.
My congenial group are all Irish lasses except for me and a woman from
England. Mothers, daughters, friends and sisters, our ages range from
14 to 65.
Moore informs me that it's unusual not to have any men.
By lunchtime, we've created a chicken gumbo soup, custard tarts and
crepes filled with spinach and mascarpone cheese that are topped with
béchamel and tomato sauces.
After a brief stroll around the property to pluck some herbs from the
garden and rev up our appetites, we adjourn to the dining room to enjoy
the fruits of our labours.
Courses at Belle Isle range from a four-week Essential Cooking Program
for people who want to cook for a living to shorter five-, three- and
one-day classes for those of us who cook for pleasure. Depending on
the season and your tastes, you can sign up for anything from game cooking
to bread making to chocolate heaven. Moore also runs barbecue classes
for men and family cooking with kids.
Belle Isle, 12 kilometres from Enniskillen in Northern Ireland's Lake
District, is a 470-acre working farm estate offering all sorts of self-catering
options, from a cozy cottage to the baronial castle, accommodating up
to 14 guests.
Our Courtyard cottage turned out to be a tastefully refurbished cattle
stable with bedroom, bathroom, washer/dryer, living room with fireplace
and dining area and fully stocked kitchen. Sheep and cows grazed outside
our kitchen window. It was downright bucolic.
While I was mastering new recipes, my husband Bill was playing the country
squire, hiking around the estate and exploring the area's many golf
courses and pubs. Guests who prefer not to take cooking classes may
join the group for lunches and dinners for a nominal fee.
Belle Isle belongs to the Duke of Abercorn, which is how Moore and the
cookery school came to be. Moore has catered for the rich and regal
all over Ireland. She won't drop names but admits that the Queen and
Prince Philip enjoyed her culinary creations while visiting the Duke.
A few years ago, the Duke invited Moore to prepare a director's lunch
at Belle Isle and that's where the idea was born. One of the estate
cottages was redesigned to house the kitchen.
"People come here for a holiday and entertainment, not just to
peel onions," says Moore, who is full of culinary tricks and quips.
Such as, what to do with a cheap bottle of sherry that even your old
aunt wouldn't drink? Put some chili peppers in the bottle, wait a month
and add a dash to soups and stews, Moore said.
However, "it will knock your head off," she warned.
How do you get rid of garlic odour on fingers? Moore's answer: Rub them
over a stainless steel knife blade under cold water. Magic.
A typical day at Belle Isle Cookery School is relaxed. Students arrive
about 10 a.m. and help themselves to coffee and fresh-baked goodies
hot out of the massive Aga stove. Hands-on cooking continues until about
noon, then there's a break. After lunch there's more free time to take
a nap or drive into nearby Enniskillen.
It's a charming town built on an island between Upper and Lower Lough
Erne, complete with fairytale castle and Blake's pub, last modernized
in 1887.
The best thing about a cooking school holiday is that your recipes remain
long-lasting souvenirs. My favourite is the one for traditional Irish
soda bread. Moore told us that the reason you cut a cross in the top
is to "let God in and the devil out."
Costs for the Belle Isle School of Cookery range from about $112 euros
for one day (no accommodation) to 320 euros for three days, including
accommodation.
Information: http://www.irishcookeryschool.com
Tourism Ireland: http://www.tourismireland.com
