CULINARY ADVENTURE
THE CULINARY ADVENTURE ITINERARY
Six Days. Five Nights.
Inclusive of Room, Tax & Daily Gourmet Meals.
If you’ve dreamt of learning to cook Haute French cuisine, this course is designed for you. Like every course we host, we will equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge to take your cooking to the next level.
What makes this course different, however, is that you will additionally shop the markets like a chef; explore a working dairy farm to learn about sustainable sheep’s milk cheeses and yogurts; and did we say menu planning? Yes, you will gain the necessary skills to plan and execute a proper gourmet menu — perfect for when your friends and family want to taste what you learned in France!
Exceptional Experiences Include:
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Champagne & Canape Reception
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A Six Course Gourmet Dinner Prepared by Chef Duvin
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Remaining Nights: Gourmet Dinners Prepared by the Students with Chef's Assistance.
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A visit to the Market in Laval (Round-trip Transfers Included)
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A Visit to a Sustainable Sheep Farm (Round-trip Transfers Included)
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Inclusive Pricing: 3725 Euro Per Person
Go beyond the kitchen!
Dive deep into French culture with immersive excursions near The Walnut Grove Cookery School. Explore iconic Mont Saint-Michel, charming coastal towns, medieval villages, and copper artisans of Normandy.
Culinary delights & cultural enrichment.
Sample Itinerary
Day 1 - Friday
Arrival at 17.00
17.00 Introductory talk with complimentary champagne and canapés, Discussing aims and course structure
18.00 Dinner 6-course gourmet dinner
Menu
Celeriac velouté scented with truffle
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Seared scallops, cauliflower purée with a pistachio dressing
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Sorbet
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Duck leg confit, cider and apple sauce, Duchess potato
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Cheese
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Chocolate and passion fruit bavarois
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Tea and coffee
Day 2 – Saturday
8.45 Breakfast; to include fresh croissants, breads and preserves, orange juice, local apple juice, yogurts, tea and coffee.
9.15 Off to Laval’s market for shopping and sightseeing.
12.00 Returning to The Walnut Grove, we will break for lunch and feast on our treasures and fresh soup
(Seasoning Techniques How to bring the best out of your ingredients)
14.00 Kitchen - We will begin the course and our journey in the kitchen with hands on experience and demonstrations preparing for dinner.
Welcome, explore kitchen/equipment etc…Basic knife skills; care of knives, safety, sharpening, chop and slice onion, brunoise of carrot, julienne of leek.. .
Demonstration/hands-on:
Soufflé mise en place, ratatouille. Crêpes mix, orange sauce. Fish filleting and smoking, Salmon gravadlax. Beurre blanc.
16.30 Finish
17.00 Aperitifs and nibbles
17.30 Back in the kitchen to finish prep
18.00 Dinner
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Menu
Goat cheese soufflé
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Sorbet
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Seared salmon filet, crushed new potatoes,
ratatouille
and a traditional beurre blanc
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Cheese
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Crêpes suzette flambées
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Tea and coffee
Day 3 – Sunday
8.45 Breakfast
9.15 Menu Explanation
Kitchen: Demonstration /hands-on
Bread/ brioche making. Trout mousse. Crème brulée, ice cream.
Chicken butchery: marinated filet, stuffed chicken ballotine confit drumstick and crispy skin. Boeuf bourguignon.
Chicken stock, (white & brown), veal glace, fish stock
13.00 Lunch: Charcuterie, fresh bread and salad, followed by cheese
14.00 Demonstration / Hands-on: Vierge dressing, scallop in shell lutée, béarnaise mise en place, fondant potato, caramelised carrot, smoked pumpkin purée. Brandy snap basket, caramel cages.
16.30 Finish
17.00 Aperitifs and nibbles
17.30 Back in the kitchen to finish prep
18.00 Dinner
Menu
Home smoked trout mousse
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Scallop in her shell lutée, leek julienne
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Sorbet
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Chicken Medley, smoked pumpkin purée and a béarnaise sauce
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Cheese
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Lemon verbena crème brulée, chilli and coconut ice cream
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Tea and coffee
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Day 4 – Monday
8.45 Breakfast
9.15 Menu Explanation
Demonstration / hands-on : Pasta dough, Foie gras tortelli. Boeuf bourguignon to finish, potato gratin.
Cheesecake in a chocolate teardrop, Chocolate and earl grey tea ice cream. Sweet pastry, Apricot sorbet.
13.00 Lunch: Tagliatelle with a bacon, tomato and onion sauce, followed by cheese and homemade bread
14.00 Excursion – Visit to a local sustainable sheep farm that produce cheeses and yogurt.
17.00 Aperitifs and nibbles
17.30 Back in the kitchen to finish prep
18.00 Dinner
Menu
Foie gras tortelli, pea purée and truffle foam
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Sorbet
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Boeuf Bourguignon, gratin dauphinois
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Cheese
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Coffee and baileys cheesecake in a chocolate teardrop,
Chocolate and earl grey tea ice cream
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Tea and coffee
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Day 5 – Tuesday
8.45 Breakfast
9.15 Menu Explanation, menu planing for dinner party.
YOU ARE THE CHEF! As a team you will prepare dinner, from designing your plate to presenting dinner.
Hands-on : CHALLENGE of the DAY
Béchamel sauce and croque monsieur
Snail Bonbon, garlic purée. Salmon gravadlax.
Almond cream and pear tart.
13.00 Lunch: Croque monsieur/ madame with green lettuce
14.00 Excursion and shopping in Vitré, medieval town and chateau
17.00 Aperitifs and nibbles
17.30 Back in the kitchen to finish prep
18.00 Dinner
Menu
Salmon gravadlax scented with beetroot
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Smoked snail bonbon, garlic purée, arugula oil
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Sorbet
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CHALLENGE of the DAY
YOUR DISH, YOUR DESIGN (team work)
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Cheese
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Pear and almond tart, apricot & rosemary sorbet
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Tea and coffee
Day 6 – Wednesday
9.00 Breakfast
Departure after breakfast