The demo counter. 
Ali Crothers, former owner and chef of The Buck’s Head. 
Mise en place – both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages were readily available while cooking! 
Me being excited to eat the squid I had just tossed in seasoning. 
Crab-stuffed pimentos. 
Salt ‘n’ chilli squid with garlic mayo. 
The Belfast Cookery School. 
Proud with paella. 
Ali Crothers, former owner and chef of The Buck’s Head.
I may have been somewhat strategic when I bought my cousin a gift voucher for a cooking class for her birthday. We are both avid foodies so I knew that she would love it, but it also meant that I had secured a cooking partner for a night at Belfast Cookery School. Last week, the time finally arrived – and it did not disappoint!
If you head upstairs at La Taquería on Castle Street, you will find the wonderful Belfast Cookery School. After much deliberation, we decided to try out their Mediterranean Cuisine class, which is £70 a ticket and includes a full evening of education and enjoyment.
Mystery tapas was first. We didn’t know what we’d be cooking for this part until we arrived, so I was naturally thinking about this part of the menu the whole day wondering what it might include. It ended up being crab-stuffed peppers – the crab was mixed with scallions, creme fraîche, avocado, coriander, lime and seasoning before being spooned into little cherry peppers and plated with micro greens. This was messy work but it ended up looking great (Sarah was definitely sick of my obsession with presentation). They were perfectly bite sized, and the fresh and creamy filling paired beautifully with the sweetness of the pimentos.
Since the school is part of the revered Mourne Seafood family, it is of no surprise that seafood featured from the outset of the evening with a tutorial on Salt ‘n’ Chilli Squid. I should note that I am, in fact, a recovering picky eater and was not expecting to enjoy eating this part of my work – I always have associated squid with being tough and rubbery. Reader, I was wrong. After our master chef Ali Crothers (former chef and owner of The Buck’s Head in Dundrum) taught us how to properly prepare and tenderise squid, scoring it and scraping out the sinew, and we ended up with tender and perfectly seasoned bites. The squid was coated in a mixture of rice flour, milk powder and potato starch before being cooked in the deep fat fryer, and accompanying it was a garlic mayo which we also got to make – a simple combination of garlic, egg, oil and seasoning. This felt indulgent and fresh all at once and, while most of the prep was already done for us by the team, you still felt like you were learning and actively cooking.
I was expecting to make a selection of plates but we only made this one and the peppers, however both were so tasty that no other choice was needed.
Last but not least was paella, something which I never think of making at home but probably will after this class. Ali talked us through everything from the type of rice to use (bomba, but aborio is fine) and why we were using banana shallots (more flavour), to the source of the mussels we were using (Strangford mussels, grown on ropes). With our steaming bowls of saffron-infused goodness in hand, it felt rewarding to sit down as a group and tuck in to the final (and delicious) course.
In short, I think this was an evening well spent. It is accessible enough for a kitchen novice, and while more experienced cooks may not feel challenged by the cooking (nearly all prep will be done for you by the staff), they will definitely learn something interesting from the expert teachers; I learned more about the seafood industry in Northern Ireland. The idea of cooking with seafood is potentially daunting for some, but this class made it feel familiar and comfortable. Portion sizes were more than enough for each pair, and you can bring leftovers home if you wish. I think a class like this which is heavily based on seafood or meat is going to be better value than some other classes, because I can guarantee you that the seafood was generously supplied and top quality. While we certainly were not hungry by the end, it would have been nice to round off the evening with something sweet or even tea and coffee – we ended up going to get a McFlurry after! The highlight of the evening, however, was the community feeling from cooking and chatting with other pairs; there is just something special and heartening about eating together.
You can book a class at Belfast Cookery School here.