Cooking courses
THE SCHEDULE FOR COOKING CLASSES WILL BE PUBLISHED IN SEPTEMBER 2024. YOU CAN EXPLORE OUR UPCOMING COURSES ON THIS PAGE
French cuisine is celebrated for its technical excellence. At our cooking school, you can immerse yourself in this culinary tradition through our diverse range of cooking courses. Here, you'll find descriptions of all our offerings, each crafted to infuse your home kitchen with the enchanting flavors of French cuisine. Whether you're a novice or a seasoned home cook, our courses, led by our classically trained chef, will guide you in mastering the art of French cooking.
Our cooking courses are held in our kitchen located on the fifth floor of Mestaritalo in Punavuori, Helsinki. Each course begins with a small savory snack during which we go over the course's recipes, ingredients, goals, and basic techniques. Participants are provided with all the necessary equipment (aprons, tools, etc.). The courses are suitable for everyone, and no prior experience is needed.
Atelier Courses
   |
|---|
Poulet – Poultry
Chicken and other poultry are some of the cornerstones of French cuisine. Whether you're preparing poulet rôti or coq au vin, it all starts with the proper handling of the bird. In our poultry course, you'll learn how to truss a bird correctly, break it down, and utilize all its parts. During the 4-5 hour course, we will prepare several classic poultry dishes using different parts of the bird and make chicken stock from the bones. The course concludes with enjoying a poulet basquaise dish together. Participants can take home the remaining dishes and chicken stock to savor later.
  |
|---|
Œuf – Egg
The simple egg is perhaps one of the most versatile ingredients used in French cuisine, appearing in a wide variety of dishes from omelets to baking. In our egg course, you will learn how to make a proper French omelet, poach an egg, and create hollandaise sauce, meringue, and mayonnaise. At the end of the 3-4 hour lesson, we will enjoy œufs Bénédicte or Florentine dishes together.
  |
|---|
Sucre – Sugar
French baking skills are world-renowned – and for good reason! In our sugar course, we explore sugar as an ingredient in depth, making various types of meringues, icings, pralines, traditional sugar candies, marshmallows, and many other sweet treats. You will learn how to cook sugar to the desired temperature and handle it safely. The course lasts 4-5 hours and also covers different piping and decorating techniques. All the goodies prepared during the course can be taken home with you.
  |
|---|
Poisson – Fish
Fish has always held a prestigious position in the cuisines of various regions in France. Handling this valuable ingredient requires the right techniques, and in our fish course, you will learn to fillet and prepare various types of fish, utilizing all parts. In the 3-4 hour fish course, we also focus on proper knife techniques and cooking the fish to the desired outcome. We will make fish stock from the bones, which you can take home. The course concludes with us enjoying a sole meunière-style dish together.
  |
|---|
Les sauces – Sauces
Many say that the secret weapon of a French chef is always preparing the right sauce to accompany the right dish. In our sauce course, we cover all five mother sauces (béchamel, velouté, espagnole, tomato sauce, and hollandaise), and prepare dishes that showcase these sauces. The course concludes with us enjoying the dishes we've prepared together, and everyone will take home a vinaigrette sauce. During the 4-5 hour course, you will have the opportunity to prepare all the mother sauces yourself.
  |
|---|
Pâte à Choux - Cream puff dough
Welcome to the cream puff dough course, where you will learn to make three different types of cream puff dough and their fillings. During the course, we will prepare both savory and sweet pastries, such as éclairs, chouquettes, savory puffs, and the Paris-Brest cake. We will also practice making and decorating various fillings. The course lasts about 4-5 hours, and at the end, you will take home a selection of pastries and a Paris-Brest cake. You will learn the correct preparation and baking of cream puff dough, piping techniques, and cooking and seasoning the fillings.
  |
|---|
Entremet - Layer Cake
In the cake course, we will prepare a stunning entremet-style French layer cake. You will learn to make various mousse and gel fillings, as well as a mirror glaze. Additionally, we will practice making cake decorations and learn different decorating and piping techniques. The course lasts 3-4 hours, and at the end, each participant will take home their own cake. During the course, you will learn how to prepare, bake, and cut the cake, make various fillings, assemble the cake, and apply frosting and decorations.
  |
|---|
Pâte brisée & sucrée - Pie course
Join our pie course where you will learn to make both savory and sweet pie doughs and their delicious fillings. During the course, we will create a savory quiche Lorraine and a sweet French apple or pear tart. The course lasts 3-4 hours, and at the end, you will take home both of the pies you made yourself. You will learn the proper preparation and handling of pie doughs, rolling out the dough, making decorations, and preparing the fillings. Additionally, we will practice cutting techniques and baking.
Seminars (2 days)
  |
|---|
Viande – Meat
Welcome to our two-day meat course, where we delve into the various cuts of beef and veal and their versatile preparation methods. You will learn meat trussing, stuffing preparation, marinating, and making meat stock. The course lasts a total of 8-10 hours and is held over two consecutive days.
During the course, we will prepare delicious dishes such as tartare, roast beef, bœuf en croûte, veal paupiettes, and beef bourguignon. Each day, we will enjoy one self-prepared plated dish together. All remaining dishes and the meat stock you prepare can be taken home to enjoy.
Throughout the course, you will learn to handle and prepare different cuts of meat, cook meat in the oven, pan-fry and braise, and make a flavorful meat stock. Additionally, you will learn various knife and cooking techniques, meat seasoning and curing, and plate presentation skills.
  |
|---|
Pâte feuilleté & croissant – Puff Pastry and Croissants
In our puff pastry course, you will learn to make puff pastry, croissant dough, and brioche dough from scratch. The course lasts a total of 8-10 hours and is held over two consecutive days.
During the course, we will bake traditional and flavored croissants, and make both savory and sweet pastries from puff pastry, such as pithivier and kouign-amann, as well as traditional French toast.
At the end of the course, each participant will take home a selection of various pastries. Throughout the course, you will learn to prepare three different butter-based doughs and their rolling techniques, the preparation, proofing, and baking of pastries, as well as the preservation of doughs and pastries.