Cookery Demonstrations at Home

Recently we held one of our Sunday cooking demonstrations at the restaurant. As a full house settled in, it was lovely to see familiar faces at what has become a bit of a tradition for us- we have been doing these since 2013- and, as usual, it was very much an informal, laid-back approach while we talked everyone through the day’s four dishes.

It was Georgia’s last demo before she has her first baby, so a baptism of fire for Ollie, too, who will step in during her maternity leave.

Cauliflower, a take on the current menu’s tart, features Alsace belly bacon and hazelnut vinaigrette. This ‘poitrine fumée’ is an amazing ingredient: we buy in whole sides, trim them and then confit in vegetable oil for up to two and a half hours until the texture is just right for this dish. The cauli is roasted in butter before being pureéd; and as always, we try to minimise waste in our kitchen, so we even deep fry the cauliflower leaves as a garnish.

For the fish course, some beautiful Scottish langoustines for tortellini. Respecting prime ingredients is the Home way, and we had already been told that Scottish weather conditions meant boats had been grounded so there would be none the following week. We made a mousse and then a deeply-flavoured bisque flavoured with langoustine stock, cognac, tarragon and more, demonstrating how we make our egg-rich pasta, rolling it thinner and thinner by stages until it was the ideal thickness and consistency for the delicate business of filling and folding the tortellini.

Local corn-fed chicken, poached in butter and thyme, was next, with spelt and wild mushrooms (we love spelt: gluten free, high in protein and fibre, and grown since the Iron Age!). We also had a treat for those who fancied it: the option of white truffles from Alba, White truffles- delicate, and hard to find, but the best around in our opinion.

To finish: Turkish figs with mascarpone and dry sherry and a fig and sherry ice cream. Sweet and indulgent! Of course, every meal is better with wine, and each course was matched with its own wine, from Sauvignon Blanc to Viognier and Cinsault.

As everyone ate, there was a happy buzz of conversation and we couldn’t help feeling this was a lovely way to finish off this year’s run, in a fun, relaxed atmosphere. We have seven planned for next year and we’d love to see you there!