Michael Quinn cookery classes at the hook and ladder sauces

In this class we learned all about sauces. Sauces made from scratch scare a lot of people but they really do not have to.

we learned to make Bearnaise sauce, mayonnaise beurre blanc and Holandaise and left with many more ideas and recipes. It was very enjoyable and helped put all the other classes together as we can now make amazing creamy sauces to accompany sea food of fish or chicken and beef. I have made beurre blanc sauce 3 items since and it has been a complete success. I made an orange one to accompany scallops and thyme one to go with brill. both where greatly received.

the mayonnaise I made was devoured by my husband along with chips and I feel I will be asked for it regularly enough.  As it was such a well received sauce and is surprisingly easy to make I think I will share the mayonnaise recipe with you guys.

For this you will need

dijon mustard (maille do an amazing one but aldi have one for 69c that will amaze you)

white wine vinegar

olive oil/sunflower oil (mixing both oils is best if you find olive oil over powering)

salt and pepper to flavour

two egg yolks

Put a table spoon of Dijon in a big mixing bowl add about 2 table spoons of white wine vinegar.(the rule usual is one quarter vinegar to 3 quaters oil) add two egg yolks and mix it all together using a whisk. then slowly add a very slow and steady stream of oil.(it is very important to take your time adding the oil or the sauce will split and be unusable)

you will know it is ready once the sauce thickens and no longer tastes of raw egg. below find pictures of the several steps. So please try this at home and let me know what you think of it all. you can add garlic or more mustard to make a different flavored mayonnaise.

Sauces were one of the most interesting

classes as it thought us one of the hardest aspects of cooking. In order to be a saucier you need to understand both science and flavour .To imbue the sauce with flavor takes great skill and many years of training. these classes have opened my eyes to so many new skills seriously they are a must for any foodie looking to better their pallet or cooking skills. amaze all your friends with your new culinary skills.

 my very own recipe inspired by micheal quinns classes scallops in an orange beurre blanc sauce with bacon and orange segmants.

ham hock terrine hook and ladder cooking classes with Micheal Quinn

Ham Hock terrine was last weeks class, a terrine is something i had never tried before so it was great to be able to learn how to make one in such a fun easy manner. Micheal had cooked the hocks for us prior to the class to save time as even though terrine is quiet easy to make it is quite time consuming. for this recipe you will need:

Two ham hocks boiled

cornichon (gherkins)

spinach

onions

dates

3 garlic cloves

a bread tin and clingfilm

First you will need to boil the ham hocks until cooked. then you will need to break them down into small pieces and cut the fat into smaller pieces. You will need to cook the onions cut into small  pieces on a low heat with butter and blanch the spinach cut up the cornichon into tiny pieces. once the spinach is blanched you will need to drain out all of the water from them then cut it into small pieces. You will put these all in a bowl and add the ham hawks into this bowl and hand mix it all together. add the dates whole and sliced up garlic. You need to then put cling film into the bread thin insuring there is enough left over to cover it fully once the contents has been added. Put the mix in cover it over with the cling film.then take a piece of cardboard on top add to tins of beans to weigh it down and leave it in the fridge over night to solidify,then cut it into small pieces and serve with either a salad or crusty bread and mustard.

It is really really easy to make as you can tell and is perfect as a starter for Christmas dinner.

The cooking classes in the hook and ladder have really help me improve my cooking skills and made me more confident in the kitchen. I recommend them very strongly. they would make a wonderful Christmas gift for the foodie in your life.

http://www.hookandladder.ie/

left over terrine made into a terrine ball

the mix covered up

dates

cornichon