Unusual Cookery Course??

Twinkles

I have to buy my brother a Christmas present - Kris Kindle. He is food mad. Amazing cook. Just a hobby though. Would love an unusual cookery course. Maybe something where you went out to catch/shoot the food you are going to cook?

I'm just sick of buying him cook books...

Can anyone help???

Much appreciated!!

The Hill Billy

What about a weekend course in basic butchery?
If he's a great cook already a cookery course may be a bit redundant.
A butchery course could help him further his food preparation skills.

As for the shoot & cook option - that sounds really good.
If you find one I'd appreciate if you could pass on the details.

Twinkles

Thanks for that Hill Billy, it sounds like a fab idea.Off to google it! I know he mentioned the shoot and cook idea but i can't seem to find it anywhere. it's probably more than €150 anyway. Off to google butcher courses... I love it!!

Minder

I did some research into shooting for meat. I eat all manner of game and my interest was honed by The Wild Gourmets on channel 4 recently. Also Ramsay and Marco Pierre White have filmed hunting sequences in recent programmes. I found that most of the deer stalking opportunities and game bird shoots are managed. They provide target opportunities for gun enthusiasts rather than hunting opportunities for meat enthusiasts. To attend, you are charged a fee for the day. If you would like to take the birds home they are charged also.

Most managed hunts will massacre dozens of birds. While the meat is supplied to food producers, I am not interested in the sport side of the day, and I don't want to pay additional money to take any bird I shoot. So the whole thing becomes uneconomical. I can buy game cheaper than I can hunt it. Deer stalks are also managed and participation costs a hefty fee. Again the venison is charged per kilo if you want to take the meat.

The alternative is to offer a pest control service to farmers or golf courses. Pidgeons and rabbits are considered pests, but make great eating. Rooks are apparently good to eat as are grey squirrel. But that involves buying air rifles or shotguns.

I got a bit disheartened by the whole process. Buying an air rifle to be able to take rabbits appeals - so I will have to look into that a bit more. We have a field adjacent to the office that looks like watership down any evening.

And of course the ability to butcher any catch is an important skill.

The Hill Billy

Twinkle - Here's a list of the short courses in the Ballymaloe Cookery School:
http://cookingisfun.ie/pages/courses/shorter_courses/

I'm sure that there are other similar schools around the country.

MegFi

Why not an official certified course in DIT/Dublin College of Catering/Cathal Brugha Street....they do lots of short/part time courses too - and the real stuff - but v serious! (I went there many years ago!) On www.DIT.ie check out part time/short courses at College of Catering.
Otherwise, Ballyknocken in Co. Wicklow is also different - Catherine Fulvio is fab! Check out www.ballyknocken.com Also a FAB guest housethere to stay over
Cooks Academy is also supposed to be good...
Good luck!:)