Early start this morning at 7.30 a.m. (when I say start, I mean I was at the school for 7:30 a.m.) as I was on salad picking duty ... Yes that is a real thing ... no really ! 😯 Basically it entails cutting about 10-15 different types of salad leaves from the green house and herb garden ... then washing, spinning and breaking up the salad leaves before you begin your preparation for the day (this takes some time ...) ... then just before lunch you dress the salad and add some edible flowers ! Salad is a serious business here at Ballymaloe ... they are very proud of it here ... and rightly so! Firstly they have the biggest salad bowl in any known dining room in the world ! (ok I made that up ... but it is HUGE ... next time I'll take a photo of it with my head beside it just to show you) ... secondly it has the most amount of organic home grown leaves you have ever seen ... mustard greens, endive, wild rocket, rocket, mizuna, red mizuna, wood sorrel, pennyworth, beet leaves, salad brunet and the list goes on .... and on ... it really is impressive ... as I said it is a serious business here and everyone is expected to have salad every day as it helps digestion (google it!) ... not only that ... our six week exam will have a salad and herb identification taste ... and from what I understand it's by sight and taste ! I better get tasting so ...

I got to the kitchen just before 9 a.m. the latest I have started my preparation to date ... I was fairly relaxed considering, probably because I knew I was only making 3 dishes today ...

Brown Soda Bread
Chicken Breasts with Spicy Peanut Satay Sauce and Coriander
Grilled Spring Onions

The Bread was done first ... then followed the chicken and just before service the onions ... I took my time doing it as I knew I had 3 hours or so ... I still maintain that I could have done this at home in less than an hour all in! I don't know what it is about cooking in the school that you seem to take up more time that you normally would ... I guess they give you more time to allow for new techniques. Today my new technique was jointing a chicken ... I did a half chicken ... you can see from the photos the finished article ... I'll let you decide what ones are mine on the final platter! 🤔

The cooking itself went well enough ... the chicken breasts were huge so took some time so cook but overall I was happy with how it went.

Now before I start on the afternoon session I need to tell you about the highlight of my day ... as usual I was having a bit of banter with the teachers (some of you know me, sorry!😊) ... and out pops one of them with ... "you know you look a bit like" .... Richard Corrigan ... well don't get me wrong, Mr Corrigan is a fine looking man and all that and I wish I could cook like him ... but to say I was stumped is an understatement 😂 ... I told the teacher in question I shall be looking for her doppelgänger on the internet over the next week ... revenge will be mine Florrie and I'll be working extra hard in the gym over the next few weeks! 😝😇

Separated at birth ... Richard and Gearoid ... 😉😍😇🤔

Anyway back to the afternoon demonstration, it was with Rory O'Connell again and from half way through the demo the smell was fantastic ... today there was some Mexican dishes, some Indian dishes and then some deserts ... Some classic quotes from Rory today ... I hope I can read my hand writing when I come to record them ...

After the day was done I forced myself to go to the gym as I've struggled to get there over the past few days! A good work out always leaves you feeling better (wrecked but better) the sauna helped too! 😜 My Order of work is done for Thursday so all set for tomorrow ...

Tomorrow is a lecture day ... 8:30 start ... a quick demo in the morning with Darina (I think) then a trip to Fermoy (not sure what we are seeing but I'm sure it will be interesting) then we have a wine lecture in the afternoon with Colm McCann! I then have a butchery workshop in the afternoon with Phillip (of Saturday Pizzas fame) and then we have arranged a wine tasting in the house for 19:30 with about 20 or so expected ! We do try to make it hard for ourselves! You need to constantly remind yourself that you're only here for 12 weeks and you need to try to make them count! 😁

Day Nine - Separated at birth ...