A Day in the Life of ...

 

A Day in the Life of ...

I've been asked about what happens every day here at Ballymaloe Cookery School (pictured above). Each day is a little bit different, but here's a general run-down:

6.30am Run, swim, walk or gym in a (maybe futile?) attempt to counteract the ridiculous amount of food being consumed. The nearest gym is a 3km run away along narrow winding roads, and it's often raining ... but where there's a will, there's a way, right? Due to the very narrow, hedge-rimmed roads it is strongly recommended that we wear high-vis vests when out and about, or be prepared to jump into a hedge at a moment's notice.

8.30am Weighing room and larder. We need to weigh and source all of our ingredients for the recipes we will be making during the morning. The majority of ingredients are produced here on the farm (that's the small kitchen garden below), and the rest are locally sourced. I actually never knew a tomato could taste so good until I had one here ... 

9am Start cooking! It's Masterchef without the skills (at least for me). We have a partner (different one each week) and each of us makes 2-3 different dishes from the classes taught the previous afternoon, plus we might be on duty to make one of the staples (bread, butter etc). The teacher:student ratio is 1:6.

11.30am Get ready to plate up. Each of our dishes has to be presented to our teacher in a style fit for a king or queen, and that means focusing on the aesthetic. My go-to solution of nasturtium flowers to add colour to a white plate is going to wear thin soon, so I will be researching some plating inspiration, pronto ... 

12noon Our teacher taste-tests our meals and provides written and verbal feedback. So far I've passed everything, but it's early days ...

12.30pm Three-course lunch, when we eat the morning's endeavours. The scheduling is a piece of logistical brilliance. 50 students (from 12 countries) can't all make the same things (we don't need 50 Bakewell tarts), so different pairs are assigned different aspects of the menu, ensuring there is enough to feed all of us. A typical day's menu includes two soups, two main dishes, various salads, various desserts and loads of breads.

1.30pm Afternoon classes and demonstrations (see pic below). Strong coffee needed. During the afternoon session, a teacher cooks everything we will be cooking the next morning, and we taste-test the results. This is an ideal session for asking questions and picking up some great tips.

5.30pm Finish classes and have a big glass of wine while doing homework for the next day. This involves liaising with your partner about who will be cooking what, and then doing up an order of work. This is a schedule that will guide your preparation and cooking times for the following day.

In addition to the above, there are rosters for sourdough baking in the Bread Shed, Veggie Patch gathering, cow milking and other duties. No time to be bored at Ballymaloe ...