Learn to cook seafood Port Eliot Festival-style

The Taste of Port Eliot Festival – a seafood-focused cookery course in the Big Kitchen

Chris Sherville’s Seafood Restaurant in the Walled Garden has been one of the highlights of Port Eliot Festival every year. Now, on Saturday 16th October, you can join Chris in the splendid restored Georgian kitchen at Port Eliot for a day focusing on seafood – and how to get the best from it.

Chris trained at the prestigious Leith’s School of Food and Wine and has lived, travelled, eaten and cooked in a variety of places around the world, from the Far East to the South West.

He’ll teach you how to cook some of the recipes from the festival, and there’ll be an opportunity to taste, ask questions and pick up tips on technique and kitchen shortcuts. The course will conclude with a sumptuous afternoon tea, followed by a tour of the rooms ‘below stairs’ led by Catherine St Germans.

Cooking with Crab

The day will start with coffee and freshly made pastries in the Big Kitchen, followed by a demonstration with Cornish crab. You’ll learn how to dress a crab, followed by how to make some really impressive crab and shellfish dishes, including west coast crab cakes, prawn and crab skewers with ginger dipping sauce, crab bisque and crab ravioli.

Wine Tasting and Lunch in the Round Room

Donald Hodgart of Inverarity Vaults will be running a wine tasting in the magnificent Round Room. He’ll also discuss pairing wine with fish dishes from different parts of the world and will answer and questions you may have on the subject. There’ll also be an opportunity to order wine at a specially discounted rate.

Afterwards, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy a delicious lunch cooked by Chris and linger over a glass or two of wine before the second half of the course begins.

Superb Sauces

The first part of the afternoon will focus on some of the great sauces for fish. Many people are nervous of making a hollandaise sauce, but Chris will show you how easy it is. He’ll also be demonstrating how to create a shellfish veloute and foam, a North African charmoula and a classic tartare sauce.

Afternoon Tea and Tour

The course will conclude with a sumptuous afternoon tea. Catherine St Germans will show you how the kitchen was restored, and will take you on a tour of the rooms ‘below stairs,’ including the Butler’s Pantry, China Closet and Sir John Soane’s circular wine cellar.

It will be a relaxed, interesting day with great food and wine – and a chance to enjoy the splendors of Port Eliot. The course is suitable for people of all abilities, whether you are a seasoned seafood devotee or have never cooked with fish. The cost of the day is £100 (including lunch, afternoon tea, wine tasting and copy of the recipes to take home).

For those travelling from further afield, we can recommend a variety of accommodation in the local area. Why not come and make a weekend of it and enjoy one of the many beautiful country walks nearby?

For more information, or to book a place, contact [email protected].