Game Masterclass – Tim Maddams

Recipes learnt

• Pan roasted partridge in a cider sauce accompanied by cauliflower & kale
• Hare shoulder and leg cooked under butter, accompanied by gnocchi and cheddar
• Loin of hare served as a starter with a date, caper & olive dressing
• Wild duck ‘bacon’ – cured for you to take home with you
• Rillettes of hare to take home with you
• Hot smoked pheasant

During the day you will be able to enjoy the food that you cook in our private dining room.  A chance to share stories, swap recipe ideas and chat to your chef for the day.  A couple of the dishes are suitable for you to take home – Hare Rillettes for example and Wild Duck Bacon.

(Please note, we reserve the right to alter the dishes covered in the course, to meet the dietary requirements of our guests).

Techniques learnt on this Game Masterclass

• Skinning and butchering a hare
• Hot smoking techniques and how to adapt them to different types of game
• Breasting a wild duck
• Curing & making cured duck ‘bacon’
• Pan roasting game
• How to confit game
• How to make gnocchi by hand

This Game Masterclass is designed for people who are looking to become more confident handling and preparing game at home.  Please note – this day is not for the squeamish – you will be skinning and deboning a rabbit / hare.  If you are looking for less butchery and want to focus solely on game cookery take a look at our Game Cookery Course, which may be more suitable for you.

Your chef tutor

Tim Maddams is a writer, presenter, private chef, cookery teacher and an expert in game cookery. He is perhaps most famous for leading the River Cottage team at Axminster, and has also appeared on high profile shows such as BBC Food and Drink, and Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch. Tim has written numerous articles for publications as varied as The Ecologist and Shooting Times. He also published the compendious foodie bible known as ‘The River Cottage A-Z’. Tim has written a whole book on game, the ‘River Cottage Game Handbook’, which provides plenty of tips and tricks for cooking delectable, succulent, flavoursome game dishes. There is nothing like learning with a top chef in person, though, and his one-day game cookery courses will let you see his immense skill in action.

About your day

Our cookery courses take place on the Catton Hall Estate, home of their own Game shoot of partridge and pheasant.  Set in the beautiful Derbyshire countryside it is the perfect location for the course and only minutes from A38 with plenty of free parking.

Throughout the day all of the food and equipment are provided alongside the support of our “kitchen fairies” who take care of all of your washing up.

Our day courses run from 10.15am to 4pm. Join us for early morning refreshments from 10am.

Book your place

This day long game course is an immersion into the world of game.  Taught by Tim Maddams there will be a mix of hands on work, work in pairs and chef demonsrations so that you can learn the most during your time with us.  Booking online is easy & Gift Vouchers are also available.   Please contact us on 01283 711681 if you would like any more information.