Grass Fed Momma: River Cottage: My Dream Vacation

It's no secret that I am a HUGE fan of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

His River Cottage TV show really knocked my real food socks off on PBS. I have his books, I follow him on Twitter and Facebook. The only thing I still need to do is go there. And stay there. For at least a week..... sigh......that is my dream.

This is what I would love to do while there.. take a four day cookery course. Here is a video on what they offer:

River Cottage Cookery School from PopupMedia on Vimeo.

The four day course offers the following:

Our four-day practical cookery course is the perfect River Cottage experience, each day is based on the River Cottage Cookery Schools; Meat, Bread, Fish and Veg. This is very much a hands-on course approach to cookery.

You will leave this intensive course with the confidence, skills and enthusiasm to cook a range of delicious dishes at home for friends and family. Who knows, it might inspire you to become a chef yourself . . .
'The pace is just right, balancing heads-down cooking with downtime to savour your efforts and the magic of Britain's most filmed farmhouse' says Claire Hargreaves in the BBC Good Food magazine.
You can also expect Hugh to drop by at some stage during your four days with us.

Each day is divided across the four disciplines of bread, meat, veg and fish, each beginning with a demonstration by our tutors and chefs, after which you pick up the knife or whisk and have a go yourself.
Bread & Pastry
A chance to master the basic loaf, learn about flour varieties, pastry work and cake making, puds and sweets.

Meat
Covering meat preparation and cookery, we’ll look at a wide range of techniques and recipes, including learning about the forgotten cuts, offal, slow cooking and five minute suppers.

Fish and shellfish
Get to grips with basic fish preparation, gutting, scaling and filleting. Gain an insight in to the ethics and sustainability of fish cookery, arriving at some classic River Cottage fish dishes.

From the Garden
Mark Diacono, our Head Gardener and author of Veg Patch will take you on a pick and nibble session in the River Cottage garden, before our chefs show you how to turn your bountiful produce into a range of gratins, pestos, salads, soups and sauces.

The skills you'll leave with include . . .
• Stock making.
• Filleting and gutting fish.
• Meat preparation & essential knife skills.
• Working with shellfish.
• Home smoking, terrines and pates.
• Slow roasting and pan frying.
• Curing and marinating.
• Introducing offal
• Sauces, gravy,dressings and pesto.
• Soups, broths and stews.
• Sour dough and yeasted bread.
• Pastry, sponge and batters.
• Salads and cruditees.
• Gratins and roast vegetables.
• Sourcing and provenance of ingredients.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
Location: This course is run from River Cottage HQ on the Dorset/Devon borders. Full address details of HQ will be provided once you have booked.
Wine/drink: We are a licensed venue. We have a wide selection of the finest organic wines.
Accommodation: If you need local accommodation click here. Or call the Lyme Regis Tourist Information Office on 01297 442 138, they will be very happy to help.
Age: We would advise that this course is only really suitable for 12yrs of age and upwards. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult. We put these guidelines in place for the safety, comfort and enjoyment of all our guests.
Time: 10am - 4.00pm
Special offers: You’ll receive a 10% discount at our Local Produce Store in Axminster as well as our Canteens in Axminster & Bath. You’ll be able to pick up the makings of a sumptuous Every Day recipe there, so you can put your new-found know-how to great use.
Keep me informed

If you are interested in joining us at River Cottage for a course or event, please let us know. We will send you new dates when they become available, special offers on last minute tickets and let you know about the new courses we are developing. Just hit the button below and let us know what you're interested in.

After a long day cooking and learning I would eat all my meals at the Axminster Canteen, run by River Cottage folks of course!

Or how about renting the 17th Century farmhouse to have a nice sit down dinner?