A foody frenzy in France

If you want to improve your cookery skills, who better to learn from than Michelin-starred chefs – and where better to learn than in France. The French House Party’s Gourmet Explorer cookery course is a six-day experience break near Carcassonne that lets you do exactly that. Staying all-inclusive in a modernised farmhouse in rural southern France, guests learn to make an array of dishes - from croissants and a Saint Honore gateaux to monkfish salad, courgette mousse and duck and foie gras filo pastries.

Champagne and pate

Starting off slowly on the first day, guests make a selection of canapés including shrimp samosas, cheese twists and mackerel pâté, shown here. All are complemented by the local tipple, Cremante de Limoux, a fizzy white wine made the same way as champagne.
Chef's market

Star chef Robert Abraham shows guests how to find the finest produce and buys ceps at one of France’s oldest markets in 13th-century town Revel.
Choice aplenty

French specialities such as Tarte Tatin and ceps are snapped up at the local market, along with an abundance of olives and cheeses.
Poached pears

Poached pears in red wine syrup with walnuts – simple to cook but gloriously delicious to taste.
Sublime seabass

Pan-fried seabass with roasted squash and mango, plus a delicate dribble of slow-brewed fish stock sauce.
Sumptious soup

This creamy, blended butternut soup with cardamom and extra cream on top embodies a key culinary lesson: French chefs don’t limit their love of butter and cream…
Luxurious surroundings

The 220-year-old farmhouse boasts a swimming pool, en suite accommodation and lots of living rooms to lounge around in – as well as bikes, a tennis court and boules to burn off those many three-course meals.
Bread pudding with fresh berries

Prepared in moments, remembered forever – an incredible take on bread pudding using cream, syrup, brioche and fresh berries.
Mussels in broccoli soup

Breaded mussels bathing in cream of broccoli soup – the art of presentation is part of the art of cooking.
Carcassonne

Guests spend an afternoon visiting the nearby medieval city of Carcassonne, a World Heritage Site and breath-taking spectacle.
Pork fillet and mushroom

One to try at home: pork fillet crusted with ceps and mushrooms.
Scallops and spinach

Fresh, soft and perfectly pan-fried scallops, served with buttery spinach and almonds and topped with a light soy sauce.
Filo pastry parcels of foie gras and duck

Banned in Britain, foie gras is a French chef’s staple ingredient. Chef Jean-Marc Boyer makes creative use of it in these duck and foie gras parcels.
Scallops in shells

Forget plastic supermarket packets – here guests work with the freshest fish, learning to shell scallops and skin and fillet whole fish.
Veal and green mousse

An impressive-looking courgette mousse is made simple under the direction of patient chef Robert Abraham. It’s served with veal fillet and sage jus.
Fig, duck and monkfish salad

A beautiful combination of figs, monkish, duck fillet and salad leaves tastes as good as it looks – and this is just a starter.
Magnificent mash

The local speciality – mashed potatoes sold from huge vats at the market. As much cheese as potato, this gooey chewy mess is bad for the waist but great in the mouth.
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