SUNDAY WINTER COOKING CLASSES
with Chef Henning Nordanger

During the winter season ~ December through March ~ join Chef Henning in his kitchen for hands-on cooking classes

8-12 people per class
Classes range from $75 to $150 per person

KNIFE SKILLS
Get expert knowledge on how to choose, store, sharpen, hold, and use the most important tool in your kitchen. Mainly focusing on vegetables, discover the most essential techniques to slice, dice, chop, mince, brunoise, bâtonnet, and julienne both efficiently and safely.


POULTRY: CHICKEN & DUCK
Learn the essentials of cooking with chicken and duck, with hands-on demonstrations from the cutting board to the stove and oven. The objective is to empower you with the skills and knowledge to proficiently cook every facet of chicken and duck, leveraging them according to their unique attributes (and how to get the most out of each). Henning will show you how to discern the prime sections of the birds to cut and cook, and which key knives and methods to use.

Henning will also teach you how he makes his ‘famous’ chicken liver pâté and roasted chicken, which are always on our restaurant’s menu (and sourced from Campanelli’s Poultry Farm). And he’ll share his expert tips and recommendations for making a traditional chicken stock, while working with seasonal ingredients and whatever might be available in your own pantry.

In addition to chicken, Henning will unlock the secrets for cooking delicious duck, from what you can do with breast and legs, as well as the drippings (and how to render fat). He’ll also show you how he creates the duck rillettes and duck confit that often make guest appearances on our own menu.

This introductory ~ and intensive ~ class is perfect for both beginners just starting out, as well as long-time experienced home cooks looking to hone and improve your skills.


SALMON
Get ready to learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know about what you can do with salmon at home. Catching and preparing top-quality fresh fish has always been a key part of Norwegian culture, and Henning loves to use all types of fish in all types of ways. He particularly enjoys cold water salmon sourced from the Faroe Islands, located in the North Atlantic Ocean between Iceland and Norway.

In this educational, hands-on, and versatile class, he will teach you how to select, break down, and fillet a whole salmon. You’ll discover how to get the most out of the entire fish ~ from making special appetizers and classic entrees, to tips on cooking soups, chowders, and stock.

From the cutting board, you’ll learn how to prepare, slice, and plate Henning’s ‘famous’ juniper cured gravlaks (a quintessential Scandinavian dish), and other elegant and simple cold appetizers, including pickled salmon and salmon tartare. On the hot side of things, he will demonstrate poaching, searing, and roasting techniques on the stove and in the oven. And finally, everyone will be making their own salmon en croûte to take home.

We’ll also be exploring fun and unexpected ideas for various ingredients and flavors to combine with salmon ~ from other fish such as scallops and cod, to seasonal garden goodies ~ to impress your dinner guests at home.

BREAD BASICS
Learn the essentials for basic bread making at home ~ from understanding slow fermentation and making your starter, to creating a perfect crust ~ in this introductory hands-on class. The star of this workshop will be our restaurant’s own ‘Jim Bread’ ~ a surprisingly simple rustic no-knead artisan bread baked in a Dutch oven. Always on our menu, this bread is named in honor of Henning’s friend, Jim Lahey, the James-Beard award-winning baker and founder of NYC’s Sullivan Street Bakery.

Other bread demonstrations include our own Dansk Rugbrød, a sturdy and dense Danish rye sourdough filled with sunflower and flax seeds, as well as Kneippbrød, a simple everyday Norwegian semi-course full grain bread. And we’ll show you how to make crispy crostini and croutons from this one!

And for fun, Henning will give away his secret for making his ‘famous’ popovers so everyone can try it out!

You’ll discover what tools and equipment you’ll need for your own home kitchen, recommendations and resources for the best ingredients, techniques for forming and kneading a dough, plus tips and tricks about the ‘science’ of baking that Henning has taught himself along the way.