Learn to Cook in Normandy | Perfect French cooking experience

Chef Spencer Richards from the UK spent years taking holidays in Normandy with his family. He loved the culture and the history and especially the fabulous gastronomy of the northern French region. Eventually he couldn’t resist the lure of Normandy any more. He moved to St Hilaire Du Harcouet, Manche, and set up Normandy Cooking Days – a fabulous foodie cooking experience, and he renovated an ancient boulangerie and turned it into a cosy gite.

Normandy Cooking Days

“Food is such a valuable part of life in France” says Chef Spence “and here in St Hilaire Du Harcouet we’re blessed with a fabulous street market and great artisanal bakers, award winning butcher’s, grocers and other wonderful shops”.

Normandy Cooking Days offers the chance to experience the typically French and specifically Norman way of cooking. And even better, the chef travels to you to teach you at your home or holiday home (within the area of Caen-Cherbourg-St Malo). “Learning to cook Norman style is best when you really live it and learn it in situ” enthuses Chef Spence. A one day cooking experience is great fun and utterly delicious. Buying some of the best produce in the world direct from farmers and producers, “so much pride goes into it” he says, makes cooking here exhilarating and very special.

There are no rushed lunch hours, the French way is to prepare something delectable and then to have the time to truly savour it. That’s exactly what Normandy Cooking Days offers. In the morning you’ll shop at the market and the shops. Then Chef will teach you how to make classic French dishes with your fresh produce – perhaps Moules Marinière or Coq au Vin or fresh lobster, Normandy apple tart or rich creamy Crème Brulée. All the cooking hobs, utensils, sundries and recipe cards will be supplied for you to use. And, at the end of your day of cooking you’ll receive a certificate of training and Chef will be on hand for any questions you might have afterwards.

You can cook as an individual, a couple, as a group or family, and if you’re cooking as an individual, why not invite your family to join you for dinner to enjoy the delicious meal you’ve prepared.

Delectable Normandy style cooking

Normandy cooking is rich and tasty and the local philosophy is “if it doesn’t grow near you, don’t use it”. Apples are a firm favourite in Normandy” shares Chef Spence “apple Jam for breakfast with apple Juice. Endives with a vinaigrette of apple cider vinegar and vegetable oil, but no mustard as that is from Dijon! Squid flambéed in Calvados (distilled apple juice) at dinner, apple tart for dessert”.

Butter and cream are also popular in the rich dishes of Normandy “Now I’m going to start an argument here, Moules Marinière in England has cream in it, but if you add cream that’s really Moules Normandy. Same goes for chicken or pork sauces, apples and cream all the way!”

“For me” says Chef Spence “You simply can’t beat oysters, with Normandy Pork to follow and something with apples and fresh farm cream for dessert – that’s so Norman”. Normandy cuisine is not complicated, but, emphasizes this friendly chef on his cooking course, that doesn’t mean it’s simple. “It’s not fussy” and seasonal ingredients are key.