Stiller’s cooking school is a popular fixture on the restaurant’s schedule, attracting a mix of local and expat kitchen enthusiasts to learn from Stefan himself. The cooking school sets Stiller’s apart from many of Shanghai’s other high-end restaurants. It gives guests a chance to pick up culinary tips, take part in the cooking process, and then sit down to enjoy the food they make. But what actually happens at the classes? I went along yesterday to find out.
I arrived at Stiller’s just before 11am, and checked out the recipe sheets while I waited for the other class members to arrive. There were special Stiller’s aprons laid out for us, and Stefan was setting up the ingredients we would be using for our three seasonal appetizers.
The cooking classes take place on the sixth floor of the building, in the same space as the main restaurant kitchen. It’s a bright, wide room with a great view over the Cool Docks to the Pudong skyline. Polished black granite workspaces sit side by side, featuring chrome fittings and gleaming utensils. The maximum class size is 16, and lessons run from 11am to around 3pm.
Once the rest of the group had arrived, we introduced ourselves over coffee. Several of the ladies knew each other from previous classes, so the atmosphere was cordial and lively. When Stefan gave us the nod, we donned our aprons and got to work. The first dish on the recipe sheet was a lobster and Asian glass noodle salad, but Stefan wanted to start by preparing the veal for the second appetizer – veal tonnato. He showed us how to trim the veal loins, slicing off the ragged tips and removing the fat. He seared the loins in a pan of hot oil before transferring them to the oven.
As he talked us through the first recipe, he assigned us tasks. It was my job to chop a bulb of ginger while others boiled the glass noodles, chopped red peppers (after removing the skin – a top tip from Stefan to avoid indigestion), diced garlic, and chopped tomatoes. One of the highlights was boiling the lobsters. We had noticed them lurking in the sink, still alive, their pincers tied. After boiling a pot of water, Stefan showed us how to kill them as humanely as possible by dunking them head-first and putting the lid on. Eight minutes later, the lobsters had turned red and were ready to be doused in ice water to stop the cooking process. Getting the meat out was a challenge. Stefan showed us some tricks for removing the claw meat in one piece, and showed us how to twist off the head and crack the body.
Once the glass noodles had been mixed with the chopped vegetables and spices, Stefan added sesame oil and chilli oil, and we plated the dish. One of the things I liked best about the class was sitting down at the table and eating what we had made with a glass of white wine. It was a good chance to get to know everyone, and taste the fruits of our labors.
The second dish was simpler to prepare, especially since the veal and tuna sauce had already been cooked and chilled. The only thing we had to do was to prepare a pepper crust and sear the tuna loin. Thanks to the relatively small class size, everyone was able to participate, so it felt like a team effort instead of a demonstration. Our veal tonnato turned out really well, with juicy chilled veal topped with arugula salad and cold seared tuna. The tuna and caper sauce added a kick and lifted the flavor of the meat.
Our third and final dish was scallops with creamy fennel, Pernod and saffron. Once again, Stefan talked us through the process and assigned tasks. It was my job to slice the fennel, remembering to cut out the tough root. Despite being almost full after the first two dishes, I enjoyed this one most. Good scallops are a rare treat, and the aniseed flavor of the Pernod and fennel was a tasty surprise. We rounded off the class with a last glass of wine and a chat, and a good dose of culinary inspiration.
For details and a full timetable, visit www.stillers-restaurant.cn, or email cookingschool@stillers-restaurant.cn.
The cooking school closes for summer between mid July and the end of August.
Posted under
Concept,
Cooking School,
Kitchen
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