The Proof is in the Pudding

The Hospitality & Catering team at East Sussex College Eastbourne host free online classes for adults as we continue life in lockdown

Following the success of the one-day Hairdressing course earlier this month, East Sussex College is pleased to announce new one-day courses for adults, taking place next week.

If you’ve wanted to learn a new skill in lockdown, there is still time. Master a magnificent main meal in the first virtual class on Wednesday 3rd March (11.30am-12.30pm): Sussex Smokie. If you prefer something sweet, then the ‘Sticky Toffee Pudding Class’ on 4th March (11.30am-12.30pm) is for you. Learn in a live virtual classroom under the guidance of experienced tutors and perfect your beauty look or master the dishes so you’re ready for post-lockdown dinner parties!

Oliver Zecchin, manager of Kings Restaurant at ESC Eastbourne, alongside Laura Da Silva-Henriques, says, “The government announcement this week has enabled us to focus more positively on the future. With the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine and hopefully an end to lockdown now in sight, we are starting to feel more hopeful. We are not out of the woods just yet, however, so we are offering these classes as an opportunity for adults to engage. If you’re shielding or living alone, it’s a great way to connect with others and learn a new skill which can be so beneficial to our mental health. Not only that, you’ll learn some new culinary skills to impress friends and family with when we do eventually emerge from lockdown.”

These classes are free but you will need to purchase your own ingredients and register your place. Tutorials will be hosted through Google Classroom, with spaces allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. To access Google Classroom, you will need a Gmail account. Don't worry if you don't have one - you can register for free at Google.com.

Once you’ve enrolled onto the class, you will receive a welcome email, along with information on how to join the Google Classroom. Prior to the class, you will be sent a list of ingredients to purchase prior to the session, and recommended kitchen utensils to have available.

• Introduction to Cookery (Sussex Smokie)
• Introduction to Cookery (Sticky Toffee Pudding)

Wednesday 3rd march 11:00 - 12:30: Sussex Smokie (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 250g smoked haddock
• 1 large leek
• 300ml milk
• 100ml double cream
• 1 bay leaf
• 500g new potatoes
• 150g mature cheddar
• 50g butter (split into 20g and 30g)
• 20g flour
• 70g homemade or panko breadcrumbs
• Salt and pepper
• Green beans, to serve (optional).

You will also need:

• Whisk
• Wooden spoons
• Colander
• Cooks knife
• Tea spoons, serving spoons
• Peeler
• At least 2 saucepans
• Large oven-safe serving dish

Thursday 4th 11:00-12:30 – Sticky Toffee Pudding with Toffee Sauce

Ingredients:

• 225g pitted dates finely chopped and covered with 175g boiling water (please complete this step prior to the session beginning)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 175g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
• 2 eggs
• 85g soft butter
• 140g demerara sugar
• 2 tbsp black treacle
• 100ml milk

For the toffee sauce:

• 175g light muscovado sugar
• 50g butter cut into small chunks
• 225g double cream
• 1 tbsp black treacle

You will also need:

• Mixing bowls
• Knife
• Saucepan
• Wooden spoon
• Teaspoons and serving spoons
• Whisk
• Electric hand mixer if available
• Oven-safe serving dish or individual pudding moulds (butter and flour these prior to the session commencing)