Cooking with Ainsley Harriott

Yes, you read that right and no I don't mean the packet of his cous cous I often have for my lunch!!  Firstly we had to head out to try and find an Ainsley cook book for him to sign, I have several at home but didn't bring one with me - doh!  The mission was successful apart from the fact the heavens opened on the way back to the hotel and we returned looking like drowned rats.  We needn't have worried though as the accommodating staff at the hotel sent us down to the spa area to get dry and spruced up.  So by the time the taxi came to collect us we were looking human again.  The fun began as soon as we arrived at Mosmann's Cooking Academy, with Ainsley waving at the window and the lovely Sarah who organised the event waiting at the door for us.

After a coffee and a get to know you chat we headed off to our cooking stations and donned our aprons.  As there were 6 stations I thought that was one each and Ainsley would be up on the raised area - wrong, guess who was sharing their work space with Chef!

 

 They even let me loose with a blow torch.

 

 He was exactly as he his on TV  and did olly, olly oil and of course who goes on top of percy pepper, suzy salt!!  He posed for photos, which is quite a feat with several scrapbookers there.

  

We cooked a full three course meal and then got to sit and eat it along with a glass of wine:

Smoked duck with orange and pomegranate salad

 Caribbean Bouillabaisse

Coffee brioce pudding with coffee sauce

 

After our meal it was time for last minute photos and the signing of books.

 Thank you so much to Debbie for inviting to me, to everyone that helped out during the day and of course to Ainsley for being totally fabulous.  I had the greatest day.

xxx