A fun, immersive cooking class in Lecce, Puglia

Collaborating in a cooking course for the duration of my travels is anything I usually adore to do. It’s a good way to master about the local culture and cuisine, and to decide on up a new recipe or two. During my go to to Lecce (map), a historic town in southern Puglia, I experienced the opportunity to be part of a cooking class at the Awaiting Desk, the most proven cooking school in Lecce (established in 2003). The faculty delivers week-extended classes, as well as day courses, which I opted for as I was only in Lecce for a number of times. I knew I was in for a deal with but it turned out to be 1 of the most fun, educative and immersive things to do in Lecce!

There were four of us at the daytime cooking system that working day. We met Silvestro, the founder of the Awaiting Desk, at Lecce’s most important square, next to the city’s iconic amphitheatre.

Silvestro welcomed us and gave us a short introduction to Puglian food and wines just before having us to the fish market place. At the sector, he advised us about the many kinds of fish and their origins, and the best ways to cook them. For our lunch class, he picked some fish and squid, which we would later on learn to prepare and cook dinner.

From the fish current market, Silvestro led us throughout the historic metropolis centre, with its wonderful Baroque façades, to the vegetable market. The contemporary rocket leaves, artichokes, tomatoes and mushrooms ended up a mouthwatering sight! We gleefully loaded our baskets – I was not the only vegetable lover in the team – and continued on our way to Silvestro’s cooking university in the metropolis centre.

Found in a historic developing, the Awaiting Table college, is each cosy and vibrant. Stuffed to the brim with cooking guides, pots and pans and all kinds of kitchen utensils, it confident was a cheery sight!

Building pasta

We donned our aprons and obtained prepared for our initially lesson: pasta! Silvestro explained the unique types of flour employed, and that barley flour is typically applied in Puglia. As we kneaded the dough, Silvestro gave us the decision of different pastas we could make. We voted for cappalletti (a pasta condition reminiscent of Mexican sombreros).

It was a enjoyment exercising, employing a glass to slash out designs from the flattened dough, then folding them right before utilising a bottle to make the ‘sombreros’.

Preparing seafood and greens

Upcoming up, Silvestro released the distinctive varieties of seafood and vegetables we were being likely to try to eat. He then gave us a masterclass in how to get ready artichokes and squid. Gosh, I had no plan how numerous methods were included in cleansing and making ready these! Cleaning the squid was especially difficult. It confident built me enjoy the work performed by fishmongers just about every day to supply them completely ready-to-cook dinner.

A crash class in Puglia wines

Silvestro invited us into the dining space when we had been done. He proceeded to convey to us about wines in Puglia – a single issue I discovered is that, contrary to well-liked perception, Primitivo is not the most common grape wide variety in Puglia the most greatly-grown grape range in Puglia is Negroamaro. We then savored a wine-tasting of 3 diverse rosés. Puglia is famed for its pink wines so it is no marvel that the most common chilled wines are rosé and not white (although Puglia also makes, among some others, a attractive white wide variety identified as Verdeca).

Cooking our lunch

After the wine-tasting, we ended up invited, a person by one, back into the kitchen to prepare dinner the dishes. I volunteered for the pasta dish: cappalletti, cherry tomatoes and squid.

When anyone had cooked their dishes, lunch was served. It looked totally mouthwatering! My favourites have been the grilled fish, which was fresh and tremendous tasty, and the artichokes and sautéed wild rocket. So tasty!

Examine about the greatest locations to visit in Puglia

I seemed all around and everyone experienced looks of joy and ponder on their faces ‘wonder’ mainly because we couldn’t pretty think that we’d just prepared and cooked almost everything on the table!

The Awaiting Desk cooking program sure is 1 of the ideal matters to do in Lecce! Inspired by what I figured out at this Lecce cooking class, I handed on the lessons to my little ones at house just a 7 days later. We put in an afternoon making pasta and had a great time!

In addition to cooking courses in Lecce, the Awaiting desk also organises 7 days-very long cooking classes (some with yoga and cycling) at a close by castle. For much more data, look at out the Awaiting Desk programs.

Take note: I was invited by the Awaiting Table to take part in this class. As usually, all views mentioned previously mentioned are mine.