Eat Voila, Beaconsfield

I only have great things to say about Eat Voila, Beaconsfield. The class is ran by Vanessa Adonis who is just great. She has a wonderful way with food and the menu is innovative but doesn't require ingredients that you need to travel to then end of the earth to source. 
I opted for a Fine Dining module. For starters, we whipped up poached pears, with pan-friend smoked haddock and hazelnut oil. For mains it was sticky, zesty chicken dish and hazelnut infused rice. And, for desert it was classic pear clafoutis. I liked how the key flavours ran through the menu, but different cooking techniques balanced out any repetitiveness. When you cooking to entertain, especially anything other than a 10-man lasagne, the key to success is in the preparation. To prepare for both the starter and the desert, we learnt how to poach pears. A poached pear is a very versatile addition to any fine dining menu (or so I have learnt.) 

Recipe:

500ml of water

250ml good quality white wine

150g caster sugar

Measurements apply to up to 8 pears (pealed, halved and cored)

For the starter, wait until the pears have cooled, thinly slice the pear halves lengthwise almost to stem end, leaving the stem end intact. Press gently down on the pear once plated to create a snazzy fan shape. This, served with pan-friend smoked haddock and a dressing of finely chopped fresh mint, parsley, lemon juice, honey, olive oil and hazelnut oil, makes for a fabulous starter