Cooking at Camont: Master the art of Gascon cooking!
Come to Camont for a long weekend or a week’s course and explore the classic French cooking techniques behind recipes that define Gascon cooking. Each day’s seasonal menu is born at the local markets and farms where we meet producers and learn to choose vegetables at their freshest, cheese at its ripest, and the perfect cut of meat for the dishes we create.
The dishes you’ll cook form the backbone of French regional cooking in the Southwest and as we explore the classic French techniques – sauteing, braising, roasting, baking and grilling – through the famous dishes of the region.
More cuisine familial than haute cuisine, Gascony celebrates local food from its farms and artisan producers in one of France’s most diverse agriculture regions. This abundant harvest gives birth to regional specialties like garbure, poule-au-pot, lapin aux pruneaux, confit de canard, foie gras en torchon, and gigot d’agneau aux haricots.
Course details:
We start in the morning for the first of our intensive day-long classes. Working only with local farm fresh ingredients and classic French techniques, we create exemplary seasonal menus that reflect terroir in the cooking of Southwest France. We cook for 6 hours per day – breaking for a long French lunch from the best seasonal Gascon produce! And of course, cooking isn’t only about recipes and ingredients. On market days, we’ll take you to our favorite farmers’ market to meet some of our favorite artisan food producers.
Example day:
9:30- 12:30 Meet at Camont for a morning of classic French techniques creating starters and main courses.
12:30-2:00 Our French lunch on the terrace breaks the day as we celebrate the arts of the table.
2:00-5:00: The sweet afternoon is devoted to creating Kate’s fool-proof buttery pastry and other desserts famous in Gascony which we indulge in the traditional afternoon gouter with coffee, tea or an aperitif!
Spring / summer dates in 2012
Three-day courses: 27 – 29 April / 18 – 20 May / 15 – 17 June
Five-day courses: 28 May – 1 June / 2 – 6 July / 30 July – 3 August
Autumn / winter dates in 2012
Three-day courses: 5 – 7 October / 2 – 4 November
Five-day courses: 3 – 7 September / 22 – 26 October
Price
2500€ per person (5 days) / 1750€ per person (3 days)
This price includes daily classes from 9:30 am- 5:00 pm, excursions, all lunches with wine, and supplies. (Please note: dinners and board aren’t included, so please see here for our pick of local places to stay. Of course, we’ll happily bring you to and from Camont for classes!)
To book, email katehill@email.com with the subject line Cookery course 3 or Cookery course 5.
