Cooking Class: Beer, Buddies and Best Fish Tacos Ever!

My favorite thing about cooking is that the learning never ends. There are always new recipes to try, new techniques to practice and new ingredients to taste. A cooking class is an excellent way to experience all of those things if you find a class that focuses on fun, the freedom to participate and of course, the food.

I had signed up for a few different cooking “classes” in the past only to be disappointed when I arrived and it was really a demonstration. The chef followed the recipe, made the dish in front of us and we got a sample. No chef tips, no ingredient tricks and no participation. That is why when I discovered the Adult Cooking nights at Young Chef’s Academy here in Hampton Roads, I was blown away by the enthusiasm of the staff and the chefs, the level of participation of the students and the fun we all had. Now I am becoming a regular and enjoying not just the recipes and the food, but the time with friends and the joy of cooking with others.

Last night was the first class I have been able to attend this year and I visited the Ghent location. Local O'Connor Brewing Company provided the beer and many of the recipes included beer as an ingredient. Chef Edward was in the house from Bardo Edibles and Elixirs, one of my favorite local restaurants. I have had the pleasure of attending a class with Edward as our chef before so I knew we were in for a treat. Edward does what I think good chefs do: they make cooking accessible to the non-chef. He is always quick to remind everyone that the recipes are guidelines (my opinion exactly!) and that we should feel free to add, subtract and experiment when we prepare. He also focuses on the accessibility of ingredients. For example, fresh grated horseradish is a lot less intimidating when you know you can just get it at the local grocery store, he shows you what it looks like so you know what you are looking for and he shows you how to prep it! Check out his beautiful prep cart by the way:

The involvement is the other critical piece of a good class for me. I am a hands-on learner and just watching someone cook, while often enjoyable and informative, does not give me the confidence to try a new technique later on. Edward always asks for volunteers and last night was no exception. The class was shown how to and then allowed to try to prep and prepare every component of every dish we made. Here’s me (in the red) and some friends making Rosemary Beef Kabobs of which we were VERY proud of!

A few tips Edward shared:

• Don’t put salt in a marinade that meat will be in for more than 1 hour. Marinade should add flavor to meat, not become the only flavor. Salt draws out moisture that is then replaced with the marinade masking the flavor of the meat rather than enhancing it.
• A little Karo syrup added to the sugar when making a simple syrup goes a long way in melting the sugar smoothly and quickly
• Horseradish in a jar is nothing compared to fresh. The stuff in the jar does not have the flavor or the impact and is more expensive in the long run for a less quality ingredient.
• Some store bought items ARE better and easier. For example, our roasted spiced apples were from the freezer section and our margarita flavor for our fish was actually pre-made frozen margarita mix!

So we prepared and ate 5 dishes all together: Coconut Shrimp with Horseradish Orange Marmalade, Rosemary Beef Kabobs with Pilsner Marinade, Margarita Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa, Candied Walnut and Roasted Pear Arugula Salad and for dessert Fire Roasted Apple Strudel in Phyllo Dough. Pictured below is the taco, shrimp and a kabob.

All of the dishes were delicious, but my favorite (and the one I had to stop myself from eating lest my classmates would think I had a compulsive eating disorder) was the Margarita Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa. I have reprinted the recipe below. My bud Kandice thinks the margarita mix can easily be substituted with some fresh lime juice and cilantro. I may also make these at home using panko instead of flour.

Margarita Fish Tacos w/Mango Salsa     

1 lb Mahi

½ cup margarita drink mix

1 tsp jerk seasoning

1 c. flour

15 oz black beans (rinsed well and drained)

1 large mango, seeded, peeled and chopped

1 large chopped seeded tomato

2 to 4 tbsp cilantro

2 tbsp thinly sliced green onion

1 fresh jalapeño seeded and chopped

1 tbsp lime juice

½ tsp ancho chili powder

¼ tsp salt

1 tbsp oil

8 corn tortillas

2 c. cabbage

Prepare marinade in a shallow dish, stirring together margarita mix and jerk seasoning. Rinse skinned fish and pat dry with paper towels. Cut fish into ¾ inch strips. Dip all fish into marinade, turning to coat and then cover and marinate in fridge for 15 minutes.

While fish is marinating, prepare the salsa: In a large bowl stir together the beans, mango, tomato, cilantro, green onion, jalapeño, lime juice, chili powder and salt. Set aside.

Drain fish and discard marinade. Dredge fish in flour and shake off excess. Cook fish in skillet with oil heated over medium heat for 2-5 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Drain fish on paper towels.

Heat tortillas in microwave between damp paper towels. Fill with fish, salsa and cabbage. (I am obsessed with sriracha chili sauce, and I added that to mine too!)

Thanks again to Chef Edward from Bardo and to Sarah Horne and Amber Lynn from Young Chef’s Academy Ghent. Next class is Mediterranean/Greek and is April 4^th. Can’t wait!

Young Chef’s Academy of Ghent is located at 350 W 22nd St. Ste 103 Norfolk, VA 

Bardo Edibles + Elixirs is located at 430 West 21st Street Norfolk, VA