cookery school

IT'S TIME TO...
VISIT A COOKERY SCHOOL

Improve your culinary skills with inspirational classes in a wide range of gourmet subjects

When the opportunity arose to attend this cookery school, I suffered flashbacks to my home economics disasters at school - disturbing images of flopped eclairs and catastrophic crumbles came flooding back. I was now faced with an overwhelming choice of courses from "Aga Sagas" to "On the Block" - knife skills (tempting) but opted for "Fish, Fabulous Fish".

Some comfort was taken after meeting Lucy Nicholson, who runs the school at her Ambleside restaurant, Lucy's on a Plate. 
A mother of four and a firm believer that everybody can cook, Lucy remains calm in the centre of her lakeside empire, which includes a bistro and wine bar, deli, catering service and mail-order company.

On arrival, the fire exit sign showing a person running away provoked thoughts of escape, but a warm welcome from front-of-house Helen put me and my fellow students at ease. After an informal introduction and a cup of tea, we went upstairs to find seven individual state-of-the-art kitchens, filled with mysterious utensils.

Wasting no time, our enthusiastic chef, Dale Blacow, gave us tips on sourcing quality fish, then outlined the dishes we would be preparing. Our first challenge was pollock, steamed with pak choi and bean sprouts, using a bamboo steamer for maximum flavour. The pace was energetic and there were students of every level of experience. We followed Dale's demonstration to a tee.

Moving on to salmon with sun-blushed tomato and wild garlic en croute (served with pancetta rosti), we enjoyed this dish at lunch with a glass of wine, delectable dessert and friendly banter. "I thought you said you couldn't cook?" one lady said, eyeing up my lattice pastry skills...

After relaxing on the terrace and indulging in a spot of shopping (the school boasts a bakery, brewery and gardening shop), we pan-fried marinated black bream fillets. Smug after my success with salmon. this time I failed at filleting. Despite this, Dale managed to rescue the infortunate fish. Fortunately, the rest of the day went well and we left, armed with new skills and produce. Nigella's career may be safe for now, but with a tad more practice, who knows what the future may bring...

Columba Colivet

Article published in Country Homes & Interiors Magazine