Gustave Class

We had set up a meeting at a country house in the hills above Fano to do a bread making and private demonstration class it was just perfect. It is interesting we have had classes that are really structured and some not so much, some are hands on other are stand and watch more of a demonstration by the chef in their own kitchens and one in a couple of weeks being as long as we eat in their restaurant and stay in their accommodation you can come into the kitchen and watch, learn traditionally and help, can't wait for that one. The country house was once a great big old share farm house but today more basic in it accommodation facilities. As we arrive mid afternoon a bit frazzled by the driving had a quick shower before heading to the kitchen. Well the rest of the room may have been a bit basic but the shower was where the owner had spent the € one would need a uni degree to work out all the buttons, and as I love button it can't be that hard. So Sandy takes one look at the shower and said well you first then when you have worked it out she will have next shower. Well firstly it was like a round clear cylinder that you had to step up into with 2 door that curved around you after you enter, with all sorts of nozzle up and down the prefab unit that squirted water at and in into all sorts of places fun and not so fun!!!! and the person before had left it in the squirt at the ankle mode which when you turn the water on the pressure could shoot right across the room. Ok so off with the water and close the doors and study the knobs a bit more. It was a bit to low for me to put my arms up, but wait ... an escape hatch at the top to let the steam out, they had thought of everything.....
So off the the kitchen now that I,m full of water.
We did make great focaccia with sweet onion which finely cut, sweated off in salt for a few hours, so is par-cooked in the salt, washed and dried before it is popped on the bread then into the oven. This method means the onion melts as a topping and not dried burnt bits on the top, very cleaver.
Then another with sundries tomatoes and olives. We soaked these in warm water for a few mins to soften and prevent them burning as quickly in the mix. His bread skill were very good his dark rye in particular.
We served the breads with a cold antipasto plate consisting of "mad sausage" which has a curation of only 4-6 months.
A gammon meat which was very red in colour and air dried so it was very intense flavour,
a peppered salmi,
proccutio crudo,
eye fillet,
rare roast beef,
buffalo mozzarella and pecorino cheese from sheep.
The hot antipasto was fried camembert,
tomato / onion sauce hot and fresh on bruschetta with a soft cheese,
layered apple battered and fried,
twice cooked herb soufflé.
A stew made from tomato and onion braised with small pieces of sausage.
Then we did a ravalio with we filled with ricotta and spinach and baked in a light creamy tomato sauce and toped with a Parmesan crust. Baked till brown served in the cooking pot.
He also served an eye fillet which he had done a sweet saffron glaze.... Just to show his skills.
The meat was cooked on the open wood fired grill and had an amazing flavour.
We cooked a side of potatoes on the grill and roasted tomatoes with a crumb of bread and Parmesan, well he did have a restaurant to feed that night and a wedding for 180 the next day, there was food every where and amazing being in such a busy kitchen to watch even if we couldn't cook to much. However Gustove was really informative and sharing. His food was very very generous we even had enough left over off our dinner for a big big picnic lunch to following day as we move a little further south before we head in to La Marche for our week cooking with an American chef.