Glenisk, purveyors of gorgeous organic Irish dairy products, invited me to try out the cookery school at Cloughjordan House in Tipperary, and I jumped at the chance.
This gorgeous 400-year old house in North Tipperary is a B&B, cookery school and now a much-sought after wedding venue, and set on peaceful, idyllic grounds.
After a sound night's sleep in the house's beautiful attic bedroom, we made our way to the dining room to sample owner Peter and Sarah Baker's breakfast.
View of the farm from the attic bedroom
It was a lavish spread - bowls of delicious homemade muesli, made with coconut water, seeds and dried cranberries, Peter's special porridge and Sarah's homemade stewed fruits were perfectly accompanied by creamy Glenisk yoghurts.
And that was just the starter.
Trays of sausages and bacon made from pigs from their farm, along with fried eggs, black and white pudding, grilled tomatoes and creamy mushrooms were laid out for the guests to tuck into.
It was the perfect start to the day- and set us up nicely for the cookery class that was to follow.
Chef Colleen O'Hara was at the helm of the class, and instructed the 13-strong array of eager pupils what was on the agenda - Green Tomato Relish, Damson Jam, White Baguettes, Damson Glazed Pork Belly, and the pièce de résistance (for me, anyway), Apple and Blackberry Tart.
We kicked off with the simple Green Tomato Relish, chopping up fresh tomatoes from the farm, along with ginger, garlic, chilli and ginger. This all got lobbed into an enormous saucepan with sugar, vinegar and all-spice, to be gently stewed for an hour.
Gorgeous, fresh ingredients
Into the saucepan
Bit of a stir, and leave it to simmer for an hour. Job done!
Next up we tackled the Damon Jam, made from damsons (which are like mini plums) freshly picked from hedges around the farm. It was a simple process of washing the damsons and adding them to another enormous saucepan along with equal amounts of sugar.
Yes, it's an awful amount of sugar
This is left to bubble away, removing the pips from the surface
With the relish and jam well underway, we prepared the Damon Glazed Pork Belly - toasting a selection of spices in a frying pan to rub on the fatty part of the belly. We placed the pork belly on a roasting dish on a bed of sliced onions, a bay leaf and sage, and put it in the oven to slow roast.
We started off with this...
About halfway through the cooking process...
The finished product - glazed with damson jam
Next came what I thought would be the trickiest part of the class - White Baguettes. These turned out to be extremely easy and fun to make - once you get over the sticky hands part. Definitely will be giving these a go at home.
Sticky dough
The lovely baguettes about to be put into the oven
Ready to be scoffed
At last we came to the portion of the class I was most excited about - the Apple and Blackberry Tart. This is like a classic Bakewell Tart with a pastry base and almond sponge topping, but substituting the raspberry jam with freshly picked apples and blackberries. I am not exaggerating when I say this is one of the nicest cakes I've ever baked, and I've baked a fair few cakes in my day. An instant favourite!
Amazing Apple and Blackberry Tart
Served with a dollop of whipped Glenisk Cream, it also works just as well with Glenisk Greek Yoghurt
Thus concluded the cookery class, and we eagerly made our way to the dining room to enjoy the spoils of our efforts - fresh baguettes dipped in oven-baked Camerbert cheese, followed by the Damson Glazed Pork Belly with baked potatoes, green beans and broccoli, and the still-warm Apple and Blackberry Tart with whipped Glenisk cream.
It was a brilliant experience, and chef Colleen O'Hara perfectly orchestrated the three and a half-hour class, packing more handy cooking tips and information in the time than I could have imagined possible.
For more information visit www.cloughjordanhouse.com
By Sarah McIntyre
