Mastering Spanish Cuisine with Chef Omar Allibhoy
Mastering Spanish Cuisine with Chef Omar Allibhoy
Where does Chef Omar Allibhoy hold his cooking classes?
Chef Omar is now holding regular cooking classes at his home in North West London, a short walk from his local London Underground station.
What can you expect from a cooking class with Chef Omar Allibhoy?
Chef Omar will immediately make you feel welcome and at home. You will go through the menu that you will be cooking during the day and you will be introduced to the ingredients ready to be prepped. Participants will all take turns preparing the ingredients. The recipes are all printed out for you to take home and of course take notes so you can prepare the recipes once you return home.
What recipes will you make on the Spanish Cooking Class?
Basque Burnt Cheesecake
I always thought this would be a difficult recipe to make but I was completely wrong! It is a really simple recipe. The difficult part is leaving it untouched for 5 hours to set. But when you get to taste it you will see it is well worth the wait!
Escalivada con Romesco Sauce
First you roast the main vegetables in the oven unless you can grill them over a gas flame or on a BBQ. It is essentially an easy recipe to follow and then sauce at the end is worth every minute you have used to prepare it.
Sangria
This is a special way to make the classic drink of Sangria that Chef Omar has devised to maximise the fruit flavours and to minimise waste. The result was refreshing and delicious and was the perfect accompaniment to our meal.
Shellfish Stock
We used the shells from the shellfish and onion, celery, carrot and leek. The unusual step was to brown all of this in the saucepan for quite a long time before adding the liquids. It is a great base for any seafood dish or sauce. Chef Omar says “the better your stock, the better flavour your final dish will have”.
Garlic Chicken
Also known as ‘Pollo al Ajillo’, it is a popular dish for all of the family using chicken thighs and loads of garlic however you could make it with rabbit as well.
Chorizo a la Sidra (Cider)
This recipe has become a family favourite in our house. It is extremely easy to make and delicious as a tapas dish or with a freshly baked loaf of bread.
Quick and easy side dish perfect for any tapas board or family meal.
- 1 ring chorizo you can also use 4 fresh chorizo sausages
- 2 medium red onions cut into wedges yellow or white onions work as well
- 500 ml vintage cider (not the sugary ones) can also use apple juice
- 2 bay leaves (optional)
-
Cut the chorizo into half then each half into smaller pieces.
-
Place the chorizo, onion wedges and cider into a small pot over a high heat.
-
Cook until the cider reduces down into a rich syrup.
-
You can choose to cook the chorizo for up to an hour on a low heat. This will not affect the quality of the final dish.
-
Serve with chunks of warmed bread.
-
Enjoy
Seafood Paella (Paella de Gambas)
A proper paella is not complicated but does take a watchful eye as it cooks. Using typical ingredients such as saffron, a good seafood stock (see above) and a Spanish paella rice which absorbs more water than other rices this dish is a true classic. The prize at the end is the crispy bits of rice along the sides and bottom!
Garlic Prawns (Gambas al Ajillo)
You will find this dish in pretty much every tapas bar in every coastal Spanish town as well as major cities. The prawns are delicious but don’t forget to dip your bread into the delicious garlicky oil in the terracotta dish!
What was the highlight of the cooking class I attended?
Making the paella in a really large paella pan outside in the garden. There was a specially designed gas cooker designed for the larger paella pans. We were extremely lucky that the rain held off until the paella was finished cooking!
Why should you attend a cooking class with Chef Omar Allibhoy?
If you want to learn authentic Spanish recipes that you will be able to make at home for your next gathering of friends and family the you will really enjoy one of Chef Omar’s classes. The Tapas class will give you the recipes and skills to produce a delicious and impressive tapas part for your guests.
You will be safe in the knowledge that the recipes you will learn are authentic and cooked at homes all around Spain and abroad.
How does Chef Omar Allibhoy teach Spanish cooking lessons?
Chef Omar teaches in a friendly manner, treating all pupils as friends. He will talk you through the whole menu then chat about any ingredients you may not be familiar with on a day-to-day basis. Chef Omar also teaches by example, first showing pupils how to cut, chop or prepare the ingredient then letting pupils take turns to follow his example.
Pupils will make the recipes in the order of what takes the longest to cook or bake and finish with the easiest and quickest so that everything is ready at the same time and comes together to be a total meal ready to eat as a group at the end.
Who does the preparation for the class?
All participants take turns chopping, slicing, peeling and mixing during the glass. Chef Omar will show you exactly how he would like the prep done and then just lets the students do it.
Do you get to eat what you cook during the lesson?
At the end of the cooking class participants will see how everything comes together and will sit down at a delightfully laid table to eat and drink the recipes you have all made.
How do you contact Chef Omar?
If you want to book a cooking class, purchase some authentic ingredients or buy gift vouchers click this link The Spanish Chef.
If you enjoyed this post and would like to read more click on the individual links highlighted below:
Thessaloniki: Come for the Culture – Stay for the Food
Mexican Inspired Chocolate Cake
Disclaimer:
I was a guest of Chef Omar Allibhoy. I was not expected to write a positive review. As usual all opinions and photographs are my own. No photographs may be reproduced in any form without my written permission.
What a wonderful experience . All the dishes look delicious.