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We¡¯re all spending more time than usual at home ¨C and in our own kitchens. Whether you¡¯re an eager home cook all year round or a bit daunted by your hob, this could be the perfect time to nudge your cooking skills up a level. So we¡¯ve rounded up the best cooking classes you can take online to improve your suppers ¨C from restaurant favourites with Gordon Ramsay to sourdough basics.
Master French patisserie with Dominique Ansel
All the workshops on the Masterclass platform revolve around a series of lessons led by a master in their field. So for the French pastry course, there was one obvious choice ¨C Dominique Ansel, the French-born chef who created New York City¡¯s most coveted sweet treat, the cronut, at his eponymous Soho bakery. The 17-lesson course covers Gallic classics such as Madeleines before moving onto bigger centrepieces such as a fruit tart and an intricate chocolate cake. Plus, you¡¯ll learn how to make the perfect croissant ¨C an essential for a locked-down brunch.
¡ê85 for the course, which consists of 17 video lessons – sign up on Masterclass
Make restaurant-quality food at home with Gordon Ramsay
If you¡¯re longing to go out for supper, this might be the next best thing. Gordon Ramsay ¨C whose restaurants hold seven Michelin stars between them ¨C leads this eight-lesson Masterclass, which starts with the basics ¨C video demonstrations show how to select the best produce, break down a fish and make pasta dough ¨C before moving on to recipes such as red wine-poached egg with asparagus and mushrooms and crispy duck with endive and spinach. Follow up with the ultimate menu for having guests over, including rack of lamb, a vegetarian cauliflower steak and a showstopper raspberry souffl¨¦, so you can start prepping for that epic dinner party you¡¯re going to throw when things go back to normal.
¡ê85 for the course, which consists of 17 video lessons ¨C sign up on Masterclass
Learn how to make London¡¯s prettiest sweet treats with Biscuiteers
The biscuits made at Notting Hill¡¯s Biscuiteers are some of the most coveted bakes in the city, whether as a present for someone else or for a treat-yourself moment. On the website you can learn how to ice biscuits like an expert with the shop¡¯s ice-olation challenge, which consists of a series of lessons including making the perfect dough and icing different shapes. Drop your practice batches off at a neighbours¡¯ doorstep for a contact-free act of kindness.
Free ¨C bake along at biscuiteers.com
Upgrade your Quarantinis with London¡¯s top bartender Mr Lyan
Turn the (very relatable) urge to drink more than usual into a hobby with help from Ryan Chetiyawardana (aka Mr Lyan, the maestro behind some of London¡¯s best bars such as Super Lyan, Cub and more) and New York City-based bartender Lynnette Marrero. Their Masterclass teaches moonlighting mixologists how to use the spirits they have lurking in the back of the drinks cabinet and how to master classics such as the Mojito and the Martini, and gives tips on pairing cocktails with food ¨C to soak up any samples you make during class.
¡ê85 for the course, which consists of 17 video lessons ¨C sign up on Masterclass
Try your hand at modern Italian cooking with help from Massimo Bottura
Massimo Bottura¡¯s restaurant Osteria Francescana, a three Michelin-starred joint in Modena, was named number one by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards in 2018, but his cooking classes on Masterclass are surprisingly simple. He demonstrates the basics of Emilia-Romagna cooking, from pasta dough for tortellini en brodo to parchment-baked sole and tagliatelle with ragu.
¡ê85 for the course, which consists of 14 video lessons ¨C sign up on Masterclass
Learn to butcher your own meat with Great British Chefs
Being able to get the most out of all parts of an animal is one of the most valuable skills you can have in the kitchen. Learn the basics from Great British Chefs, who break down how to prepare a fillet of beef, how to carve a leg of lamb and how to joint a chicken into easy-to-follow steps.
Free, learn at greatbritishchefs.com
Sit in on Sourdough 101
Finally fulfil all your bread-nerd dreams by learning to make your own sourdough, the baking trick that trumps all others. You¡¯ll find out how to make your own starter, and how to maintain the mother dough. Then get ready to create rustic loaves, pretzels, cinnamon rolls and more. If you can¡¯t master your own starter dough, Borough Market bakery Bread Ahead will deliver a baker¡¯s kit that includes a sourdough starter as well as stoneground rye flour, wholemeal flour and more.
Currently on offer for ¡ê11.99 (88 per cent off) at udemy.com. The Bread Ahead baker¡¯s kit is ¡ê12 ¨C order from breadahead.com
Chop like a chef with lessons on knife skills
This mini series gives top tips on how to use your knife like a pro. First ¨C an essential ¨C learn to use a knife safely, before really unleashing your new-found powers by learning cheffy cuts such as how to julienne, as well as finally figuring out the difference between mincing, slicing and dicing.
Free ¨C learn on skillshare.com
Learn to cook pasta the old-fashioned way with an Italian nonna
Nonna Nerina, the 84-year-old Italian home cook who has been teaching pasta lovers how to make fresh dough for years, has taken her classes online at nonnalive.com. Sign up for a two-hour live session, buy all the ingredients on your next supermarket shop and tune in as Nerina shares family recipes such as butter and sage ravioli, cannelloni and gnocchi with pesto. The team recommends a wine-pairing too, so you can really make an evening of it.
About ¡ê50 for a two-hour live class at nonnalive.com
Become a better cook with Wolfgang Puck
Austrian-American Wolfgang Puck is Hollywood¡¯s chef to the stars, and this Masterclass gives you his straight-shooting top tips on how to become a better home cook. His videos explain the key to training your palate and guide you through a handful of recipes from his acclaimed repertoire, such as roasted chicken with mustard port sauce, which was a staple at LA restaurant Ma Maison, where he launched his career in the 1970s.
¡ê85 for the course, which consists of 16 video lessons?¨C sign up on Masterclass
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