Andy Mossack tries out the Cookery School Ultimate Fish and Shellfish Class
“How can you tell if the fish you’re looking at is fresh?” Head Chef John’s opening line to his latest class of trainee chefs gave us all a moment to ponder. There we were, donned in our biodegradable aprons, hands freshly washed and eager to spend a day uncovering the secrets of cooking fish and seafood.
Because, as he put it, “today you are going to learn how to cook fish, not just read a recipe.”
Wise words indeed.
Tucked away in Little Portland Street, just off Oxford Circus, The Cookery School has been a learning centre for culinary excellence for over 20 years ever since Rosalind Rathouse opened the doors in 2003. Something of a passion project following her founding a successful piemaking business supplying posh pies and cakes to Harrods, Waitrose and Orient Express.
The Cookery School addresses all levels of culinary, from simple home kitchen foodies to aspiring professional chefs, with an extensive list of classes and courses to choose from.
My Ultimate Fish and Shellfish Class was a full day, learning not just how to cook specific dishes using poaching, steaming, grilling and frying methods, but perhaps more importantly, the art of preparing the fish and seafood: the skinning, filleting and boning. Of course, I was keen to hone a new set of skills that I could boast to my friends about how “I’ll never buy ready-to-eat fish ever again.” But secretly I just wanted to cook and eat some deliciously fresh seafood.
And our list of dishes was impressive to say the least. Not unlike prepping a menu for a fine dining restaurant. Fish stew with a fresh lobster bisque base, calamari braised in red wine, pollack in black butter, moules marinieres, a plaice papillote with hollandaise sauce, griddled diver scallops with an oriental dressing, Mozambique style grilled prawns with green salsa, fish cakes with tartare sauce, mackerel with a gooseberry sauce and last but not least a smoked mackerel pate snack. Phew.
We had an awful lot to get through. Just as well this was a seriously professional kitchen set up, chock a block with all the professional tools of the trade. Top of the range sharp knives (essential items for all wannabee chefs) food processors, pots and pans, chopping boards, even a food scraper gadget we called Jeffrey, an essential item for cleaning our boards, a heap of market-fresh fish and seafood, plus Michaela our Sous Chef, who thankfully washed and replaced anything and everything, just so we didn’t have to.
So, on to practicalities. How on earth did John manage the seemingly impossible. To encourage, nag, entertain and educate this motley group of chef wannabees to not only create his challenging menu, but still have enough time for us to sit down with a glass or two and enjoy eating the fruits of our labours?
So after explaining some critical facts about fish freshness, sustainable fishing, best day of the week to buy fish (Tuesday), followed by a quick aside on hygiene – “use spoons and not fingers to taste the food while cooking” – we were split up into teams of two, given which menu items were ours to cook, and then started the prepping.
John began every prep session with detailed tips and demonstrations on each fish or seafood item. Mussels – “test they’re still alive by gently tapping them on the table; if they begin to close, we’re good to go”. Shelling live scallops – “be careful the shell doesn’t snap shut on your fingers”. Filleting a plaice – “take out the spine very carefully to preserve as much meat as possible”. Using all the lobster – “we want to use every part of it for either food or bouillon.” And perhaps the most complex of all filleting calamari – “practice the order of carefully removing the beak, wings and eyes.”
It might sound gruesome, but after a few cuts and splices you do get used to it and it becomes more about the artistry than the flesh.
Time simply flew by. It wasn’t just the fish and seafood, there were sauces to mix and vegetables and herbs to dice. Clustered around a communal table with team members facing each other prepping was an uplifting experience. Everyone pitched in and supported each other and then watched while each team cooked their specific dishes under John’s watchful eye and a few interventions.
Finally, the hours of work came to an end as our dishes were plated and laid out buffet style for a right royal communal feast. It was certainly a joyful moment, knowing we’d been involved in every step of it, and perhaps it made it that much tastier. Or maybe it was just the chilled white wine and knowing there was no washing up!
The Ultimate Fish and Shellfish Class was a completely professional session from start to finish, conducted in a spotless environment using nothing but sustainable ingredients. An absolute triumph and a must for any aspiring foodie who wants to learn valuable culinary skills.
And the answer to Chef John’s fresh fish question? Fresh fish smells of the sea, has pink gills, firm flesh and piercing bulging eyes. Top tip.
All food images (C) Andy Mossack.
Tell me more about the Cookery School Ultimate Fish and Seafood Class
Cookery School Ultimate Fish and Shellfish Class, 15b Little Portland Street, London W1W 8BW
T: +44 207 631 4590 E: info@cookeryschool.co.uk
Cookery School Ultimate Fish and Shellfish Class is £265
Cookery School has all kinds of courses and classes to suit all skill sets and price points. Please click here to see all classes and dates.
