Lamb, Hogget, Mutton

Week two is over, I’m looking forward to the weekend, but also excited to get into the kitchen again on Monday morning.

My morning started off with ripping off a pollock’s head, and then fileting the fish for my fish pie. I was able to make white soda bread again, which was nice. My béchamel, bread crumbs, and Duchesse Potatoes for my pie, turned out so well. Finished my marmalade – hoping I can sneak a jar through customs at the end of the course. I also made a simple salad of water cress, blue cheese, pear and candied spice nuts - delish! Fileting the fish added quite a bit of time to my morning, the teachers get three students together, and help each of us filet, so it takes quite a bit longer than you’d think. Anyway, it was still a good day, I’m sad to be leaving Florrie’s section, still not sure who my teacher is next week but I think it is Finola. I will be cooking a slow roasted shoulder of lamb with cumin seeds, gravy, glazed carrots, and chocolate mousse on Monday. Darina made brown soda bread in demo this afternoon, I forgot how much I love it, with butterr, so tasty.

Demo started off the same way as the morning’s cooking, Phillip (Darina and Tim’s son in law), was ready with a saw, boning knife and half of a lamb, we had a brief introduction to butchery. Which is very interesting, not something I would want to get hardcore about, but interesting none the less. There are two types of lamb, a spring lamb which is born before Christmas, and ready to eat by Easter, then lamb that is eaten at Christmas. Hogget is lamb after Christmas, and finally mutton is 2 – 2 years plus. Moving along, we talked about a proper roast dinner (you can imagine how exciting this was for me, even if it was lamb!), and all of the trimmings. Next week we do beef and chicken I think, shrimp and prawns, burgers, homemade sausages… Oh it’ll be a good week!

Went into Midelton with Denise tonight, the speed limit on the roads (country roads!) is 80 km / hour, and it is DARK and windy, and people drive even faster than that, it’s crazy. I’m just back now, having a glass of wine, and going to do my order of work for Monday. Trying to decide if I should go into the pub tonight, or stay home, decisions!

“If it’s going to be traditional, keep it traditional.” Darina Allen

	View from the kitchen in The White Cottage.	Phillip, Darina, and a half lamb.
Weekend fun at cooking school - jointing a chicken, buttermilk for soda bread, and some wine!	View from the dining room at lunch.	The sun was shining today!
Was able to hang my bedding out on the line this afternoon!	My Fish Pie with Duchesse Potatoes