Week 2.

DAY 1

OATMEAL RAISIN SCONES
This was the first time I ever made scones and I loved them! Light, buttery goodness and so so comforting. I'm not a fan of raisins in my food so when I make these again, they'll be without them.

AUBERGINE & LENTIL MOUSSAKA
A Greek dish, this was really interesting. Vegetarians (not the picky ones) will just love it cause I sure did. French lentils sauteed in mild spices and then baked with charred aubergines, tomatoes and a bechamel sauce. Rustic and filling.

PECAN & COCONUT TART
Don't worry all you Bounty haters, you can't taste the coconut in this tart. It's plainly for texture. This tart is warm, sweet, rich and rustic- I just love it. Pecans and syrup go so well together and making pastry isn't all that hard (anymore ;)

 DAY 2

CARB LOAD
Day 2 of Week 2 was bread making day. So so stressful and so so time consuming. I'm glad we have people who do that for us. The ultimate result is beautiful so if you're fond of bread, which I'm not, you should definitely give it a try. Especially if handling sticky dough and getting covered in flour is something you think you'd like :)

CHORIZO, NEW POTATO & GREEN BEAN SALAD
I just loved this warm salad. Crisp, new potatoes fried off in some chorizo oil, fresh green beans and salad leaves to finish it off. Just great.

BRAISED DUCK LEGS
Perfect Sunday dinner. The duck was succulent, falling off the bone and went just really well with the cabbage and mash. Fulfilling.

CHOCOLATE FONDANT WITH SALTED CARAMEL ICE CREAM
Now that I have your attention, let me tell you that all you're thinking is true. This dessert was heaven. How could it not be? Warm chocolate cake with chocolate oozing from the middle with one of the best ice cream flavours ever. JUST OH MY GOD.

 DAY 4

SEAFOOD CHOWDER
I'm not fond of such creamy soups, but if you like chowder, you'd love this one. Smoked haddock and salmon in a creamy soup garnished with fresh parsley and Cayenne pepper.

CANDIED BEETROOT SALAD
This was such a pretty salad. Made with a combination of regular beetroots and candied ones which are a really pretty shaded colour, this salad was great. Feminine and delicious topped with feta and pecans.

VICTORIA SPONGE
Surprisingly, this was the first time I made this classic cake, and it's so bloody easy! Moist, sponge cake sandwiched with whipped cream and raspberry jam. Bliss.

 DAY 5

RISOTTO WITH PICKLED MUSHROOMS AND CAULIFLOWER PUREE
I know what you're thinking. You know I'm a Masterchef fan so obviously I am too. "No one's got a risotto right in the Masterchef kitchen." This one was close enough. Pretty good for a first attempt if I might say so myself. What do you think?

COD WITH CHARRED LEEKS AND PICKLED CAULIFLOWER
Delicate dish with delicate flavours.

MINI MERINGUES
I think I finished all of these that day. So light, crunchy and melted straight in your mouth. Love.

As you can see we definitely moved on to more complex stuff. Hard, hard work. I think that'swhy I haven't put on any weight ;) Well, works for me! Hope you enjoyed this pictures as much as you did the last. How am I? Exhausted. But you've got to work to chase your dreams. Did I just get preachy? Oh well, I guess that's what dedication does to you :)

Stay Hungry

xoxo
D

Week 1.

So those of you who follow me on Twitter and Instagram know what an amazing time I'm having at cookery school. I wonder what I was doing all my life, if not this. Working in a kitchen gives you a different high, believe me. Picture Masterchef without elimination- Heaven. It's not all fantasy though, it's a lot of hard work. How very cliche of me. But honest, you have to wash your own pots and pans and scrub your stations till your arms fall off. But it all seems worth it when you see that beautiful dish you manage to put up. I'm dead tired, but I've enjoyed my first week so much. Here's a look, throwback-

DAY 1

APPETIZER: SALAD OF PICKLED PEARS, WALNUTS AND CROZIER BLUE CHEESE.
An interesting mix of flavours, the pears were soaked in red wine to achieve the sweet, glossy finish which went really well with the tart balsamic dressing and salty blue cheese.

MAIN: PASTA WITH PARMA HAM AND PISTACHIOS.
The chili in this pasta is what livens up the dish. It compliments the heavy flavours that the ham and pistachios bring to this dish. Perfect comfort food.

DESSERT: CARAMELIZED APPLE TART WITH FRANGIPAN.
Frangipan is something I love and it goes just so well with the strong and tangy Granny Smith apples. Such a clever combination of flavours. If you're an apple person, you'll love it.

 DAY 2

APPETIZER: PEA, BEAN AND COURGETTE SOUP
This soup is such a winner. I'm definitely going to make more of it back home. Thick and creamy, without any cream. Just good chicken stock, potatoes and veg. Garnish it with a lot of fresh pepper and you're good to go!

MAIN: ROAST CHICKEN BREAST WITH PEAS AND SALSA VERDE
The clever chicken supreme cut instead of just the breast helps the chicken stay moist. The salsa verde tastes so good with the crispy skinned chicken. A classic dish.

DESSERT: IRISH APPLE CAKE.
This cake is one of my favourites, light and summery but still filling. Tart pieces of apple with the soft and sweet cake mixture just go so well and the almonds on top taste divine.

DAY 3

APPETIZER: HERB GNOCCHI WITH CHERRY TOMATO, CAPERS, BUFFALO MOZARELLA AND ROCKET.
This is my favourite dish. I never liked gnocchi until I made it myself. This is is so light, fresh and still incredibly fulfilling. I love the fusion of fresh, raw ingredients with cooked ones. Winner.

MAIN: BEEF RIB EYE WITH MIXED MUSHROOMS, ROAST GARLIC BUTTER, ONION PUREE AND POTATO FONDANT.
This is such a restaurant dish in which you can show off all your skills. The potato fondant is heavenly and the mixed mushroom sauce with sherry is unbelievable. The perfect Sunday lunch if you cook the steak properly. Love.

DESSERT: VANILLA PANNACOTTA WITH CHERRY JELLY.
I'm not a fan of pannacotta, but if you are, you'll love this dish. The tart cherry jelly goes so well with the smooth, rich vanilla pannacotta. The almond tuille is just amazing, my favourite part of this dessert :)

DAY 4

APPETIZER: POTATO AND JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE SALAD WITH SAMPIRE, SUGAR SNAP PEAS AND BROADBEANS.
Sampire is a really salty grass which grows near the sea. I liked this salad with its unique combination of ingredients.

MAIN: ROASTED VEGETABLE QUICHE.
I just love this quiche. The vegetables are roasted till the most amazing flavours appear. Charred, sweet and moorish. Add a little feta, ricotta, puff pastry, thyme and you've got a killer combination.

DESSERT: RASPBERRY AND ALMOND SLICE.
This isn't that much of a dessert as it is a tea- time snack. But it tastes just so great with the shortbread, raspberry jam and almonds. Love it.

DAY 5

APPETIZER: AUBERGINE ROLLS WITH MOZARELLA, PESTO, GARLIC AND CHILI.
A great appetizer with fresh, clean ingredients and olive oil. Yum.

MAIN: ITALIAN MEATBALLS.
This is such a hearty dish, everyone will love it. Strong, Italian flavours like oregano with a rich tomato sauce baked with a sprinkling of Parmegiano Regiano. Classic.

DESSERT: HAZELNUT DACQUOISE WITH FRESH BERRIES AND CHANTILLY CREAM.
My favourite dessert so far. It's all the best dessert ingredients put together to give you a light, moist and satisfying end to a meal. Best.

That was my first week at cookery school and I hope you liked seeing the pictures as much as I liked making and eating them. Okay, maybe a little less. But once I'm done, I'm going to give my own spin on these recipes and feed everyone I know, including you guys, ofcourse ;)

Until then,

Stay Hungry

xoxo
Chef D ;)