If you find your foodie friend has gone MIA the chances are they have discovered The Saporium, a glamorous temple for all things gourmet, organic and just plain yummy. The designers have gone wild creating a cooking school inside a glasshouse in the middle of this industrial space; private enough for classes but open enough to proudly show passersby your new creations.
The heart of the home is the kitchen, and it certainly is here.
Head chef Julien Vasseur spent seven years working in Switzerland’s tops kitchens, led Williams-Sonoma Cooking School and more recently cooked for Richard Branson’s elite clientele for Virgin Airways. His passion for organic produce and teaching ‘technique’, not recipes (so you can freestyle), stands him apart as does the all singing stunning SMEG appliances.
Our French ‘Gourmet on a Budget’ class starts off with some TLC by rubbing down an organic side of Berkshire pork belly with Tasmanian Sea Salt. We learn there is no gender equality with pigs, the boys are rarely used these days as the flavour is too strong.
Next we make short crust pasty; soft butter, no kneading, and lots of resting. Whip up a custard with a shot of whisky, make half an apple look like sliced art and in it goes. The national dish of France – who knew that a bucket of finely sliced onions cooked on low till they are tanned like George Harrison, plonked onto puff pastry dotted with olives and anchovies creates an amazing Pissaladiere. It’s wolfed down within minutes of it coming out of the ovens. The pork belly is only outdone by mighty fine mash with fresh horseradish. Make sure you heat your cream, your butter is super cold and there is only one other secret, that’s mouille & elbow power.
At Vive you cook with the best; Global knives, produce sourced from the best providores and eat together on artisan plate ware. It all goes to make this a heartwarming experience in more ways than one.
Vive Cooking School
Saporium,
Boutique 18 61-71 Mentmore Avenue,
Rosebery NSW 2018
